A suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university has been taken into custody, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Fox News on Friday (September 12), ending an intense manhunt that followed what Trump described as a "heinous assassination."

Kirk's killer had eluded police and federal agents for more than 24 hours after Wednesday's shooting, in which a sniper fired a single gunshot that killed Kirk, 31, during an appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem.

"I think we have him," Trump told the "Fox and Friends" show in an interview, adding that a person who knows the suspect had turned him in. "I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody."

The suspect was in the custody of Utah state law enforcement, a person familiar with the investigation said, asking for anonymity.

Previously, U.S. investigators said they had found the bolt-action rifle believed to have been used to kill Kirk and released images of a person of interest.

The FBI had circulated grainy images apparently taken from security cameras showing a person wearing a black top, black sunglasses and a dark baseball cap. The long-sleeved top appears to have been emblazoned with an image of a bald eagle flying across a U.S. flag.

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1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody, right? In custody. Everyone did a great job. We worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. FOX AND FRIENDS HOST ASKING TRUMP: "So a pastor was able to turn him in and where they got the family of the shooter to turn them in."

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

" Well, it was a minister and the minister went to a friend, a minister who was involved with law enforcement, by the way. And his good friend is a top U.S. Marshal. And they took it from there. And then it was a father who got involved, namely his father, and said, we've got to go in. And they say, I understand it. And again, subject to change, but you know, the facts are the facts. We have the person that we think is the person we're looking for. But they drove into the police headquarters and he's there now."

FOX NEWS HOST: "Did the father know about what the son had done?"

TRUMP: "I don't know. I'm going to let you get all those questions later because I can't tell you how accurate. The bottom line is they have somebody that they think did it."

5. WHITE FLASH

6. FOX AND FRIENDS HOST ASKING TRUMP:

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"So, Mr. President, there is the death penalty in Utah, and I do know this is going to be a federal case, and there's many of us believe that Charlie was targeted because of his political ideology. What's going to happen to this guy?"

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"Well, I hope he's going to be found guilty, I would imagine. And I hope he gets the death penalty. Charlie Kirk was the finest person; he didn't deserve this. He worked so hard and so well. Everybody liked him. I've been watching. Even the left is having a hard day."

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING:

"He was an unbelievable talent, but he was more. It wasn't really so much a talent. He just really believed it. He just believed it. He loved young people. He wanted to help young people. And he didn't deserve this. He was truly a good person."