'No Place' For Political Violence, 'Dangerous' Rhetoric, Says Rep. Steil

Republican Representative Bryan Steil of Wisconsin said the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk highlights how "dangerous" rhetoric is fueling political violence.

President Donald Trump said a suspect in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was in custody on Friday after an extensive manhunt for the shooter.

“I think with a high degree of certainty we have him,” Trump said Friday in an interview on Fox News.

Trump said the arrest was made after law enforcement received a tip from a minister who believed he recognized the shooter from images released by authorities, and that the suspect’s father was also involved in helping to apprehend the individual.

“Somebody close to him turned him, you know, they said, whoa. It’s interesting, where we had very good pictures, but not great, not perfect,” he said.

The suspect is a 22-year-old from St. George, Utah, a person with knowledge of the investigation said, who asked not to be named because the information isn’t public.

The president’s comments follow the fatal shooting of Kirk on Wednesday during an event at a college campus in Utah and an extensive search for the shooter. Kirk, 31, executive director of Turning Point USA and a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot as he spoke at an outdoor student event before a crowd of more than 3,000. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

On Thursday night, federal investigators released a surveillance video as the manhunt for the gunman intensified.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation had earlier on Thursday recovered what they believed was the rifle use to kill Kirk and released photos of the person of interest. The surveillance video showed a suspect dropping from the roof of a building, hitting the ground hard and leaving behind palm smudges and a shoe print. Law enforcement also provided additional details about the suspect’s clothing, including a T-shirt with an American flag, black Converse shoes and a baseball cap with a triangle.

Robert Bohls, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City office, has disclosed that the high-powered bolt-action rifle was found in a wooded area near Utah Valley University, where the gunman fled after the attack. The weapon is being examined at the bureau’s laboratory, along with other evidence that includes footwear impressions and palm prints collected at the scene.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has said that the state of Utah will be pursuing the death penalty when the suspect is caught.

“I hope he was going to be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump added Friday. “What he did. Charlie Kirk was the finest person that he didn’t deserve this. He worked so hard and so well. Everybody liked him.”

Asked if the shooter was part of a broader plot or network, Trump said that it appeared to be a one-off incident but that it was still unclear with the investigation continuing.

“Seems to be,” Trump said. “Well you don’t know, I mean, you don’t know.”

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