OREM (US), Sep 12: President Donald Trump announced the capture of the suspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination, a significant breakthrough in the investigation into a targeted killing that raised fresh alarms about political violence in the United States.
The suspect is a 22-year-old from Utah, identified as Tyler Robinson. Kirk was killed by a single shot in what police said was a targeted attack and Utah’s governor called a political assassination.
Authorities recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle near the scene of the shooting and had said the shooter jumped off a roof and vanished into the nearby woods afterward. Kirk had been speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University at the time of Wednesday’s shooting.
He was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead hours later. Federal investigators and state officials have released photos and a video of the person they believe is responsible.
The attack, carried out in broad daylight as Kirk spoke about social issues, was captured on grisly videos that spread on social media. The shooter, who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a college-age appearance, fired one shot from the rooftop.
Authorities have yet to publicly name the suspect or cite a motive in the killing, the latest act of political violence to convulse the United States. (AP)
