OREM, Utah (Reuters)
A suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university has been taken into custody, US President Donald Trump said on Friday, ending an intense manhunt that followed what Trump described as a "heinous assassination."
Kirk's killer had eluded police and federal agents for more than 24 hours after Wednesday's shooting, in which a sniper fired a single gunshot that killed Kirk, 31, during an appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem.
"I think we have him," Trump told the "Fox and Friends" show in an interview, adding that a person who knows the suspect had turned him in. "I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody."
Trump did not share the suspect's identity. Investigators were due to brief journalists later on Friday.
The suspect was in the custody of Utah state law enforcement, a person familiar with the investigation said, asking for anonymity.
Previously, US investigators said they had found the bolt-action rifle believed to have been used to kill Kirk and released images of a person of interest.
The FBI had circulated grainy images apparently taken from security cameras showing a person wearing a black top, black sunglasses, and a dark baseball cap. The long-sleeved top appears to have been emblazoned with an image of a bald eagle flying across a US flag.
Law enforcement officials also released video of the shooter running across the roof and lowering himself onto the ground.
"Somebody this close recognises even a little tilt of the head, which nobody else would do," Trump said in the interview.
Kirk, an author, podcast host, and close ally of Trump, helped build the Republican Party's support among younger voters.
Trump said the suspect was recognised by people close to him, and suggested the suspect's father drove him to a police station and handed him over.
FBI and state officials said the killer arrived on the campus a few minutes before the start of the event, a debate led by Kirk titled "Prove Me Wrong" in front of 3,000 people at Utah Valley, about 65 km south of Salt Lake City.
Security-camera videos showed a person going up stairwells to gain access to a roof before firing at Kirk, the officials said. Kirk, a staunch defender of gun rights, was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck. Audience members fled in panic.