(NEW YORK) — A Utah man is facing terrorism charges after being arrested for placing an incendiary device under a news media vehicle in Salt Lake City, according to authorities.
Adeeb Nasir, 58, of Magna, Utah, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of placing the explosive device, which was lit but “failed to function,” according to police.
On Friday, Salt Lake City Police Bomb Squad and Unified Fire Authority Arson/Bomb Squad responded to a suspicious device placed underneath a news media vehicle parked next to an occupied building, which was found to be real.
Nasir faces nine charges, including two counts of weapon of mass destruction and two counts of threat of terrorism.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assumed primary jurisdiction over the investigation and served a federal search warrant at the residence on Saturday with the help of local authorities’ bomb squads.
“The FBI discovered what appeared to be potentially hazardous materials that could pose a threat to public safety,” the FBI said in a statement to ABC News.
After the FBI’s initial investigation, two suspects were associated with the incident and both resided at the same residence where the search warrant was served.
The second individual was listed as Adil in Nasir’s probable cause summary, and arrest documents have not been found at this time. The relationship of the two individuals has not been released.
“The initial FBI search warrant authorized the seizure of evidence specifically related to the incendiary devices,” documents said.
Squad members cleared the home and found two hoax weapons of mass destruction inside, along with two firearms and illegal narcotics.
Neighboring homes were evacuated during the search due to the explosives found.
There was no information about a possible motive.
Nasir was booked into Salt Lake County Jail and ordered to be held without bail, according to documents.
(NEW YORK) — The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk has put Utah Valley University (UVU) under scrutiny as security experts said the location of the stage for the outdoor event where the conservative commentator was targeted was particularly vulnerable, and questioned why no metal detectors were in place and bags seemingly were not checked.
More than 3,000 people were on hand Wednesday as the 31-year-old Kirk, CEO and co-founder of the conservative grassroots organization Turning Point USA, spoke in an open-air courtyard on the Orem, Utah, campus, which is at the bottom of a bowl-shaped area surrounded by buildings, law enforcement officials said.
A gunman fired the deadly shot at Kirk with a high-powered bolt-action rifle from the rooftop of a campus building a substantial distance from where Kirk was speaking, hitting him in the throat, officials said.
The suspect in the shooting, identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested on Friday night after his father recognized him from surveillance images and video released by investigators, authorities said.
“This is a police chief’s nightmare,” Chief Jeff Long of the Utah Valley University campus police department said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Witnesses told ABC News that the event was not just open to the students on campus, but to the general public as well.
Long said he worked with Kirk’s private security team to establish security protocols for the event, which was the first stop on a nationwide tour of college campuses Kirk launched, called The American Comeback Tour.
“We worked together. He has his team and they do this all over the country. We all know that. It’s not uncommon for them. They’re very comfortable on campuses. And I was coordinating with his lead security guy,” Long said.
Turning Point USA did not respond to an ABC News request for comment.
Long said six campus police officers were working the event, including some in plainclothes who were monitoring the crowd.
“We train for these things, and you think you have things covered, and these things, unfortunately, they happen,” Long said. “You try to get your bases covered and, unfortunately, today [Wednesday] we didn’t. Because of that, we have this tragic incident.”
But multiple witnesses who attended the event told ABC News there seemed to be little to no security at all.
“We walked in, we were kind of surprised because there was like no security check. They didn’t check us for IDs. They didn’t pat us down. You just walked in,” Jasmine Martinez, a mother of five, told ABC News on Thursday.
Justin Hicken, who also attended the event, said he, too, was surprised by the seeming lack of security.
“I just followed the crowd into some of the campus buildings and … once you made your way through the campus buildings, it opens up into a courtyard where the stage or the amphitheater drops down like a pit,” Hicken told ABC News, adding that he also was not scrutinized by any security when he arrived at the free event.
He said that while the crowd was mostly comprised of college-aged people, “There were people of all ages there.”
“There were elderly people with walkers, there were children, there were families. It was a big group,” Hicken said. “I would say it was probably about 97% or 98% pro-Charlie. There were a few people you could tell were in opposition to him being there but for the most part, it was a very pro-Charlie crowd.”
Before the event, an online petition was circulated asking school officials to prevent Kirk from speaking on the UVU campus. The petition stated in part that “Charlie Kirk is known for his divisive rhetoric that often supports policies and laws which aren’t inclusive and can marginalize various communities.” The petition gathered more than 900 signatures.
“We affirm our commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue,” the university said in a Sept. 3 statement in response to the petition. “The university respects the rights of student clubs and organizations to invite various speakers to campus. As a public institution, UVU upholds First Amendment rights and fosters an environment where ideas – popular or controversial – can be exchanged freely, energetically, and civilly.”
However, Don Mihalek, a retired senior special agent for the U.S. Secret Service and an ABC News contributor, questioned the location of the stage with roofs of buildings surrounding the area where Kirk was shot, given that President Donald Trump was shot at a July 13, 2024, campaign rally at an outdoor venue in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a man who fired from rooftop 400 feet from where Trump was speaking.
Investigators said the gunman who shot Kirk fired an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle from the roof of a building and appeared to have a clear line of sight to where Kirk was seated under a shade canopy more than 100 yards away.
“The location of the event was in the middle of a college quad, it sounds like, which was surrounded by tall buildings, which present line-of-sight issues,” Mihalek said.
Mihalek added, “In my view, in this day and age, you can’t not do proper advanced planning for an event, especially an outdoor event, and take into account all the standard security measures for an event.”
Mihalek said pre-planning for possible security issues, including access control to the event, line-of-sight issues and monitoring of the crowd, “all has to be baked into the event planning process.”
Robert Boyce, the retired chief of detectives for the New York Police Department and an ABC News contributor, said that from a security standpoint, the outdoor venue should have never been chosen for an event featuring such a controversial speaker.
Boyce further said that the venue for the event shouldn’t have been outdoors.
“For a controversial person speaking in any way, with any kind of petition, any outside threats we don’t know right now, you really can’t have it outside,” Boyce said. “You have to have a door to control and that’s important, especially in these times. We’re really at a different point in our history that’s really hard to believe. But you want to control that door. This way, you know who’s inside and you can walk around and see and identify anybody who’s acting out of sorts.”
Boyce also questioned why the event was opened to the general public.
“It’s inexplicable to me why a university would let outside people come in and watch this on their campus, and that has to be answered,” Boyce said.
In response to the questions raised about the security plan for the event, a university spokesperson told ABC News, “I’m not able to answer those specifics at this time.”
The university spokesperson directed ABC News to a page on the school’s website answering some frequently asked questions about the Charlie Kirk event. Under the question “What security measures were taken?” the website states “Kirk’s lead security staff coordinated with UVU Police Chief Jeff Long regarding the security measures,” echoing Chief Long’s statement during the Sept. 10 news conference.
The website page also said that Kirk had previously visited the school with Turning Point USA in 2019.
The Utah Board of Higher Education – the governing body for the Utah System of Higher Education, which is comprised of 16 public colleges and universities, including UVU – issued a statement last week, saying it will “continue working with state leaders to identify ways to keep our campuses safe and welcoming for everyone.”
The statement added, “We believe strongly that Utah’s campuses must remain places where individuals can share and debate differing viewpoints openly and respectfully. Attempts to diminish that freedom have no place here and we will continue working to ensure our students, faculty and visitors feel safe to express themselves.”
(NEW YORK) –The man suspected of shooting and critically wounding a police officer in northern Georgia on Friday night has been taken into custody after an hourslong manhunt, officials announced.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 26-year-old Timothy Craig Ramsey was taken into custody at about 6 p.m. Saturday.
Authorities did not provide any other details about the arrest.
Ramsey is alleged to have shot McCaysville Police Capt. Brantley Worley after officers were called to a report of a suspicious person, according to ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB.
Ramsey ran from the scene wearing a “bright green chemical-resistant type suit,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a post on X.
Worley, a 3-year veteran of the department, was airlifted to a hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in critical condition, according to WSB.
“Marty, the girls, and I are asking all Georgians to join us in praying for this officer who was shot in the line of duty, as well as all law enforcement who face this kind of danger on a regular basis to protect their communities,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement Saturday.
McCaysville is a city of about 1,200 residents along Georgia’s border with Tennessee.
(NEW YORK) — A manhunt is underway in Georgia after a suspect shot an officer late Friday night, according to officials.
Police said they’re searching for 26-year-old Timothy Craig Ramsey who is alleged to have shot McCaysville Police Captain Brantley Worley.
“Marty, the girls, and I are asking all Georgians to join us in praying for this officer who was shot in the line of duty, as well as all law enforcement who face this kind of danger on a regular basis to protect their communities,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement Saturday.
Ramsey is described by police as a white male, 5 foot 11 inches who weighs around 185 pounds and has long brown hair and blue eyes.
“Ramsey is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him or see any suspicious activity, please take immediate precautions and notify 911.If you have any information on the whereabouts of this dangerous suspect, please contact 911 or the Georgia Bureau of Investigation by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477),” the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — Monsoonal flow will likely cause heavy rain and scattered storms over the Plains this weekend, while hot and stormy weather is expected to continue in southern Florida.
The monsoonal flow continues to draw ample moisture from the Gulf and Pacific, allowing for a lingering chance of heavy rain and scattered storms over parts of the Four Corners and parts of the Plains this weekend.
A level 2 of 4 threat for excessive rainfall is in place for parts of eastern New Mexico and the western Texas due to rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible in the heaviest storms.
More spotty storms and heavy rain are possible (Level 1 of 4 threat) from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and Arizona up to southern Wyoming and Nebraska, where some of the heaviest storms could produce rainfall rates up to 1 inch per hour.
Ruidoso, New Mexico, is on alert yet again for flooding along its burn scar on Saturday, which has already produced deadly flash flooding earlier this year.
Meanwhile, parts of the High Plains saw spotty storms on Friday — one of which produced a weak visible tornado in a very rural part of northwest North Dakota.
Some of these same spots of the High Plains will have scattered storms fire up later Saturday, some of which could be strong enough to produce scattered flash flooding and strong winds.
Scattered storms are possible for parts of the Midwest as well today from Wisconsin down to Indiana, including Milwaukee and Chicago, where 1 to 2 inches with the heaviest storms could produce spotty flash flooding.
These storms in the Midwest are not associated with the monsoonal moisture and will fire up from an unrelated front in the area.
The southern part of Florida is expected to continue to deal with hot and stormy weather into the weekend.
Much of the southeast coast of Florida has gotten in on the heaviest rain this past week, with the Miami area reporting 10.51 inches of rain since Sunday. Other spots have seen between 4 to 7 inches over this week.
Fortunately, the wettest storms have already come for South Florida. Some scattered storms will still fire up later Saturday, dropping an another 1 to 2 inches with the heaviest storms for spots.
Some spotty storms will still be possible for South Florida going into next week, but these will not be as widespread or heavy — making for a slightly drier pattern.
The central and eastern part of the country will warm up for this weekend, with warmer temperatures likely for next week as well, cutting the fall-like feel for many.
The most seasonably warm temperatures this weekend will be over parts of the Mississippi Valley, where high temperatures will be in the 90s from the Deep South up to Minnesota and South Dakota.
While this is only slightly warmer than what is normal for mid-September for the Gulf Coast, this is 10 to 15 degrees warmer than what is normal for this time of the year for much of the Mississippi Valley — including for parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Minnesota.
Combined with increased humidity, some places could have feel-like temperatures well into the 90s and up to 100 for a few spots. There are no heat alerts currently in effect for anywhere in the country.
Next week, the warmth will begin to spread to parts of the eastern U.S. Much of the eastern half of the country from the Heartland to the coast will be 5 to 10 degrees warmer than what is normal for mid-September, breaking up the fall-feel that millions have been enjoying for the region.
ederal law enforcement officers stand guard at the Paul G. Rogers federal courthouse on September 16, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The courthouse is the site of the trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, a suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla) — Jurors in the criminal trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump on his golf course last year got to see with their own eyes Friday how close Ryan Routh came to carrying out his alleged plan.
Routh, who is representing himself despite not being a lawyer or having a legal education, is on trial in Florida on charges that include the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate.
Erin Casey, a media specialist with the FBI, use a trove of drone video, photographs, and laser imagery to create a “fly-through” video showing Routh’s alleged sniper post in relation to Trump’s location on the golf course.
“It’s like an animated camera in a Pixar movie,” she told the jurors, saying the video is a “tool to bring you back to the scene.”
FBI Special Agent Katherine Rose also showed the jury the rifle, ammunition, and items recovered from the crime scene.
“Shots fired — that’s all I heard,” said Mayes. “Without much information, I tried to figure out what was going on and where it was going on.”
As Routh appeared fixated on her testimony from across the room, Rose showed the jurors the SKS semiautomatic rifle that Routh allegedly used. The jurors saw his scope, the magazine he used, and the single bullet chambered in the rifle that prosecutors say was intended to kill the now-president.
“What do we have here?” asked prosecutor Maria Medetis Long.
“This would be the rifle recovered from the scene,” Rose said.
Rose also displayed the two bags that Routh allegedly attached to the fence of the golf course. Inside the spray-painted bags were two metal plates that prosecutors say Routh sought to use as armor to protect himself from incoming fire.
‘Blue, blue!’
Two other witnesses testified about the frantic response to the shooting.
Kenneth Mayes, a sergeant with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office who was with a tactical unit positioned at Trump’s golf course on the day of the shooting, testified that local police used a different radio channel than the Secret Service, so his unit initially had no details about the incident.
Operating with little information, Mayes said he followed another officer’s car out of the course’s parking lot, though he later returned after realizing he was driving away from the incident. He said he decided to drive in the opposite direction, where he eventually came across the crime scene.
“When I arrived, there was one person there, and they had no information,” he said. “I went into the bushes to see what we were dealing with.”
He said he shouted “Blue, blue!” when he arrived to prevent others from mistaking him for Routh.
Lieutenant William Gale was also one of the first to arrive at the scene, though Routh had allegedly fled before he showed up. He told jurors that he was eventually able to locate Routh because a bystander, who testified Thursday, was able to identify Routh’s car and license plate number.
“He said he had some information about this incident,” Gale said. “He mentioned that the car was a black Nissan Xterra.”
Vienna-style sausages
Meanwhile, an unlikely object has taken center stage in the prosecution’s case: Vienna sausages.
Four different witnesses have so far mentioned the processed meat product during their testimony, and prosecutors encouraged jurors in their opening statement to see the sausages as a way to link Routh, 59, to the crime scene.
All four of those witnesses told the jury that they found an empty can of Vienna sausages near Routh’s alleged sniper perch, and that unconsumed sausages littered the crime scene.
During Rose’s testimony, the jury was able to see the empty can and lid that brought into the courtroom for them to examine.
“Could you tell what kind of items these were?” asked Medetis Long.
“Yes, I could,” answered Rose. “They appear to be Vienna-style sausages.”
In his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley said the sausages link Routh to the crime scene, pointing to a selfie Routh sent a romantic partner from his car that showed the same sausages in the background.
Prosecutors say that in the month leading up to the attempted assassination, Routh was living in his car at a nearby gas station while he was “obsessively researching the movements of Donald Trump online.” Shipley alleged that Routh lied to his family and friends about the trip to conceal its purpose, including sending his romantic partner a selfie inside his car to prove he was “camping.”
The Vienna sausages in that photograph, prosecutors say, is another piece of evidence that demonstrates Routh was the person who hid in the bushes of Trump’s golf course to try to kill the now-president.
A quick pace
While prosecutors originally estimated needing about three weeks to conclude their case against Routh, they signaled on Thursday that their case might conclude sooner than planned because of the quick pace of the first few witnesses’ testimony.
Jurors at the trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, heard from the Secret Service agent who confronted an armed Routh on the golf course before Routh fled, and a witness who identified Routh to police.
Prosecutors allege that Routh put together a methodical plan — including purchasing a military-grade weapon, researching Trump’s movements, and utilizing a dozen burner phones — to kill Trump based on political grievances.
Hiding in the bushes of Trump’s Palm Beach golf course and armed with a rifle, Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of the then-presidential nominee before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle poking out of the tree line.
Routh allegedly fled the scene but was later arrested by a local sheriff’s office on a nearby interstate.
He faces five criminal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon, and using a gun with a defaced serial number.
Routh has been rebuked several times by Cannon after making unexpected and off-topic comments. During opening statements Thursday, Routh launched into a speech about the origin of the human species, global conflicts, and his political grievances, before the judge cut him off after about six minutes for making arguments that she said have “absolutely nothing to do with the evidence in this case.”
Prosecution plans to rest case
After flying through eight law enforcement witnesses on Friday, prosecutors said they plan to rest their case against Ryan Routh this coming Thursday.
The unexpected speed of the case is in part attributable to Routh’s approach to his defense; he has rarely objected to testimony and briefly cross examined some of the witnesses.
“Seems like we got nowhere. Thanks for your useful testimony,” Routh told one of the witnesses after his questions fell flat.
Prosecutors sped through four additional witnesses this afternoon. FBI Special Agent Jose Loureiro testified about the chain of custody for Routh’s car, and Special Agent David Gilbert told the jury about disarming Routh’s rifle.
Digital analyst Elizabeth Reidel testified about the trail camera that police found at Routh’s alleged sniper perch. According to Reidel, most of the video stored on the device was from August 2024 when Routh relocated to Florida to allegedly begin planning his assassination attempt. Jurors saw some wobbling footage that appeared to be taken from inside a bush, though prosecutors did not explicitly make clear if the footage was taken from Routh’s perch.
Special Agent Tristan Bailey also testified about the process of collecting DNA and fingerprint samples from Routh. During a brief cross examination, Routh appeared to praise her work while highlighting how she also took hair samples from him.
“You left the hair out. You pulled all my hair out, and it’s not in evidence,” Routh said. “I can attest we did a very good job.”
The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday at 9:00 a.m. after prosecutors ran out of additional witnesses to call today, earning themselves a rare rebuke from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
“I don’t want this to happen again,” she said to conclude the day.
Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump’s arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference, July 26, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE
(UTAH) — Just hours after an assailant gunned down conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus Wednesday, voice messages containing a torrent of expletive-laden insults were sent to Democratic members of the Utah state House, blaming them for Kirk’s killing, according to audio of two calls obtained by ABC News.
The calls came in just after 10 p.m. on Wednesday night to House Democrats’ staff work numbers from an unidentified male caller, who called the Democrats “demons” and “enemies to the American people.”
“You should find somewhere else to f—ing live. You murderous terrorist animals, you despicable f—ing subhuman, f—ing violent, disgusting f—ing animals. You murdered that man in front of his f—ing family, you evil f—ing pieces of s—, subhuman f—ing garbage,” the man said. “I don’t even want to see the f—ing color blue in the state of Utah ever again. I’m gonna burn everything blue in my entire f—ing house.”
In a second message, the same caller directly addressed a staff member by name and told them to “leave the f—ing state.”
“You murdered that man in front of his f—ing family,” the caller said, adding, Democrats nationwide belonged in “hell.”
Utah House Democrats have shared with law enforcement the threatening voicemails and emails they’ve received in the wake of Kirk’s assassination, House minority leader Rep. Angela Romero told ABC News.
Romero added that the calls were particularly intimidating at this raw time of heightened political tension and rhetoric.
“It made me feel uneasy, especially being a woman and a woman of color in a super red state — so it’s not like this is my first rodeo, but this really made me feel uncomfortable,” Romero said.
She said a separate caller told her, “I was despicable, I shouldn’t serve in office, it’s my fault that Mr. Kirk was murdered.”
Other lawmakers have said they received threats following Kirk’s killing. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican who is running for governor in South Carolina, announced Friday her office had been “bombarded” with “threatening phone calls” — and accused Democrats for the “hateful” messages.
The vitriol levied at uninvolved lawmakers since Wednesday’s shooting has had a chilling effect on the American tradition of lawmakers’ community engagement — as well as the open debate and political discourse Kirk himself espoused.
Romero said she has canceled her own door-knocking that had been scheduled for this weekend. She had planned on canvassing and “getting people’s feedback” as they’re poised to go through redistricting. She has recommended that others in her caucus consider doing the same.
“I decided this probably wasn’t the best time, and I’d rather people be safe than be put in a compromising position,” Romero said.
“I don’t maybe agree with [Kirk’s] political ideology, but he still had a family that loved him, he still had a partner, he still had children. Just because you don’t agree with someone on their policy stances doesn’t mean that you silence their voice by murdering them, whether it was Mr. Kirk or whether it was Representative Hortman,” Romero said, referring to the Minnesota Democratic lawmaker gunned down on her doorstep with her spouse earlier this year in another act of political violence.
“At the end of the day, we’re all human. And it’s sad that we’ve gotten to this place in our country where people can’t even have conversations anymore,” Romero said.
(CHICAGO) — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot a man who was resisting arrest and subsequently dragged the agent with his car, according an ICE spokesperson.
ICE officers were conducting a vehicle stop in a Chicago suburb on Friday morning when the suspect — identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Silverio Villegas-Gonzales — “resisted and attempted to drive his vehicle into the arrest team,” subsequently dragging the agent, ICE said.
DHS said the suspect dragged the ICE officer “a significant distance.”
“Fearing for his life, the officer discharged his firearm and struck the subject,” ICE said.
Both the officer and Villegas-Gonzales “immediately” received medical treatment and were transported to a local hospital.
The suspect was pronounced dead at the hospital, while the officer suffered serious injuries but is now in stable condition, ICE said.
“We are praying for the speedy recovery of our law enforcement officer. He followed his training, used appropriate force, and properly enforced the law to protect the public and law enforcement,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Villegas-Gonzales “entered the country at an unknown date and time” and has “a history of reckless driving,” DHS said in a press release.
ABC News’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.
(OREM, Utah) — After a suspect was arrested in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, an emotional Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he is “as angry as I have ever been” and that this shooting marks a “moment” in the nation’s history.
“This is our moment. Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp?” Cox told reporters during a press conference on Friday.
Cox confirmed that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was allegedly the person who shot and killed Kirk on Wednesday while the conservative activist was speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 39 miles south of Salt Lake City.
The governor said he could not confirm that the suspect was cooperating with law enforcement and does not believe there are any more suspects.
During his emotional speech, Cox, who has served as Utah’s governor since January 2021, said Kirk’s murder is “much bigger than an attack on an individual” and that is is an “attack on all of us.”
“It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been and who we could be in better times,” Cox said.
He also emphasized that violence is not the answer.
“We can return violence with fire and violence. We can return hate with hate. And that’s the problem with political violence, is it metastasizes, because we can always point the finger at the other side, and at some point we have to find an off-ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse. These are choices that we can make,” Cox said.
While Cox said this is a “terrible day for the state of Utah,” he said he is “grateful that at this moment, we have the opportunity to bring closure to this very dark chapter in our nation’s history.”
“History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country. But every single one of us gets to choose right now,” Cox said.
He also pleaded to the younger generation, saying they have an “opportunity to build a culture that is very different than what we are suffering through right now.”
“To my young friends out there, you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. But through those words, we have a reminder that we can choose a different path,” Cox said.
Toward the end of his speech, Cox said he still believes in the country.
“I still believe that there is more good among us than evil, and I still believe that we can change the course of history. I’m hopeful because Americans can make it so,” Cox said.
He also thanked the federal agencies involved, including the FBI, and “everyone who worked together in such a short amount of time to find this person and to bring justice.”
Cox said state officials are already moving to pursue the death penalty if the case goes to trial.
The Utah Department of Public Safety released new images of the person of interest in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. (Utah Department of Public Safety)
(SALT LAKE CITY) — A suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials announced Friday.
Tyler Robinson was allegedly the person who shot and killed Kirk on Wednesday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed at a press conference in Utah on Friday.
“We got him,” Cox said at a press conference Friday.
The press conference came soon after President Donald Trump confirmed they had the suspected shooter in custody.
“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends” earlier Friday morning.
He later added, “Subject to change but the facts are the facts we have the person that we think is the person we’re looking for.”
Trump said he was told just five minutes before he went on air for the prescheduled interview that someone was in custody.
“Essentially, somebody that was very close to him turned him in,” Trump said.
Trump said the father of the suspect went to authorities and convinced the son “and this is it,” the president said.
The father of the suspect identified his son as the person being sought by police in photographs distributed by authorities, according to sources.
The father told his son to turn himself in, sources said. The son initially said no, but later changed his mind.
Trump reiterated in the interview that the shooter should get the death penalty.
“In Utah, you have death penalty, and a good governor there, I have gotten to know him,” Trump said of Gov. Spencer Cox. “The governor is intent on the death penalty in this case and he should be.”
In the latest video of the suspect, which was played during a news conference with state and federal officials Thursday evening, the apparent gunman can be seen climbing down from the roof of a building on the campus of Utah Valley University where authorities believe he fired the fatal shot and fled rom the scene.
The FBI said it was offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person responsible for Kirk’s murder.
Utah authorities released photos of the person of interest in the shooting on Thursday in which the individual can be seen walking up the stairs to the top of the building where the shooting took place while carrying a black backpack and wearing a shirt with what appeared to be an American flag print on it.
So far authorities have received more than 7,000 tips and leads and completed some 200 interviews, Cox said Thursday.
Amid the manhunt for the shooter, officials said Thursday they are working “around the clock” to locate the person of interest, who is believed to be college-aged.
The FBI also said Thursday it has recovered what is believed to be the weapon used in the deadly shooting. A “high-powered bolt action rifle” was recovered in a wooded area near where the shooting took place, according to Salt Lake City FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls.
The rifle is an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News. The location of the firearm appears to match the suspect’s route of travel, the sources said.
The spent cartridge was still chambered and three unspent cartridges contained wording on them expressing what some law enforcement officials described as “transgender and anti-fascist” writing, according to preliminary information shared with agencies. It’s unclear what that means and authorities are still working to determine the meaning or whether the markings were intended as misdirection for investigators.
Officials said that at 11:52 a.m. on Wednesday, the suspect arrived on the Orem campus and then proceeded to travel through the stairwells up to the roof of a building near the where the outdoors event was taking place, before the shooter fired down at Kirk, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said on Thursday.
Kirk was hit by a single shot at approximately 12:20 p.m. and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
After the shooting, the suspected shooter traveled to the other side of the building, jumped off and fled off-campus into a neighborhood, Mason said. Officials are working through nearby neighborhoods, contacting people with doorbell cameras and speaking to witnesses to identify any leads, Mason said.
“I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this, we will find you. We will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law,” Cox said during a press briefing Wednesday, calling the fatal shooting a “political assassination.”
He said state officials are already moving to pursue the death penalty if the case goes to trial.
