'We've got him': Trump says Charlie Kirk shooting suspect caught

(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump announced the man suspected of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk is in custody.

Authorities have identified the suspected shooter as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson after a dayslong manhunt.

A source told NewsNation the suspect confessed to his father that he was the shooter. His father told authorities and secured his son until they could arrive to pick him up, the source said. The arrest was made in Washington, Utah, on Sept. 11.

Trump made the announcement during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" on Friday morning, stating "we've got him."

"Somebody that was very close to him said, 'Hmm, that's him.' Essentially [then they] went to the father, went to the U.S. marshal, who was fantastic by the way, and the person was involved with law enforcement by the way was a person of faith — a minister," Trump said. "And bought him to the US marshal, who was fantastic. The father convinced the son this is it. I'm always subject to be corrected, but I'm just giving you based on what I'm hearing. I just heard about it five minutes before I walked in."

What we know about the Charlie Kirk shooting investigation

Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot shortly after noon local time Wednesday, minutes after he had begun speaking at Utah Valley University before a live audience.

Police said the shooter fired one shot from the rooftop of the campus’s Losee Center, then jumped down and fled into a nearby neighborhood.

Described Thursday as “college age,” the shooter’s identity remained under wraps even after Utah’s Department of Public Safety commissioner confirmed authorities had “good video footage” of the suspect.

Officials announced they had also recovered the weapon they believe was used in Kirk’s death: a high-powered, bolt-action rifle.

Two men were detained late Wednesday for questioning but were later released, with officials asking the public on Thursday not to harass them as they were no longer suspects.

Police have not yet publicly identified a motive in the shooting.

Who was Charlie Kirk?       

Kirk was an influential figure in young conservative circles, on social media and among high-ranking Republicans.

A close friend of Vice President JD Vance and “like a little brother” to President Donald Trump, Kirk was known for viral videos debating college students, hosting the “The Charlie Kirk Show” and serving as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr.

A longtime Second Amendment advocate, Kirk was outspoken about gun rights, immigration, gender identity and other conservative talking points. On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described him as a “Christ-follower and American patriot.”

Kirk was speaking at the university as part of his “American Comeback Tour,” which challenged attendees to “Prove Me Wrong.” The tour was billed as an opportunity to engage with him in a debate format, and the Utah event was the first of several stops scheduled across the U.S.

Kirk leaves behind a wife and two children, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.