AURN News with Ebony McMorris

Trump Says Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing Is in Custody

Ebony McMorris
September 12, 2025

Reading Time: < 1 minute

President Donald Trump said on “Fox & Friends” this morning that a suspect is now in custody in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday during a PACT event at Utah Valley University. Authorities said a sniper used a bolt-action rifle to fire a single round that struck Kirk in the neck while he was answering a question about mass shootings.

For more than 24 hours, the suspect evaded police and the FBI, who released surveillance images showing a young man in dark clothing with an eagle and American flag T-shirt.

Charlie Kirk speaks during a town hall meeting on March 17, 2025, in Oconomowoc, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File)

On “Fox & Friends,” Trump said the suspect’s father turned him in, reportedly with the help of a minister.

Kirk, 31, was co-founder of Turning Point USA, a close Trump ally, and leaves behind a wife and two young children.

Trump has announced he will posthumously award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.

White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris is a native Washingtonian and University of South Carolina alumna. Her passion is mentoring young adults by teaching community empowerment and media education. She is an NAB member and board member of the Thurgood Marshall Center and was presented the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing more than 4,000 hours of community service under the Obama Administration.