Suspect arrested for murder of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk

(Patria) - A young man from Utah suspected of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a university campus has been arrested, confirmed the governor of that state, Spencer Cox.

This ended a two-day manhunt that added to concerns about a rise in political violence in the US.

- We got him - Cox told reporters at a briefing.

The suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, confessed to a family friend - or "implied that he committed" the murder to that friend - and that person then contacted the sheriff's office on Thursday.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that the person suspected of killing Kirk had been arrested.

- I think we have him in custody with great certainty - Trump said during an appearance on Fox News.


Suspect in Kirk's murder

- A family member interviewed by investigators said that Robinson had recently become politically minded and spoke about Kirk in a disparaging manner - Cox said.

Robinson was taken into custody on Thursday evening, about 33 hours after Kirk's murder, said FBI Director Kash Patel at a press conference.

Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was killed on Wednesday by a single bullet while speaking on stage in an open-air amphitheater at Utah Valley University.

Trump called the shooting a "heinous assassination".

Kirk's murder sparked outrage among his supporters and condemnation of political violence from Democrats, Republicans and foreign governments.

- It is an attack on all of us - said the Utah governor at a press conference, drawing parallels between Kirk's murder and the assassinations of President John Kennedy, his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s.

- It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals - the governor added.

Trump earlier praised the work of local authorities, saying they "did a great job". He expressed hope that Kirk's killer would receive the death penalty.