Authorities have the suspect who fatally shot Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and a close political ally of President Donald Trump, in custody, the president said early Friday.

"We have him," Trump said in an interview on Fox and Friends.

Trump said with a “high degree of certainty,” law enforcement has the suspect in the Kirk killing in custody.

"Essentially, somebody that was very close to him turned him in," Trump said.

The news caps a frantic search after authorities as recently as Thursday evening said they had "no idea" where the suspect might be.

In a plea to the public for help, authorities released new footage and enhanced still images of the suspected shooter, who has not yet been identified. The video, released Thursday night, showed a person running across a rooftop of the building from which the fatal round was fired before climbing down and dropping to the ground.

Kirk, 31, was killed by a single gunshot on Wednesday afternoon while speaking in front of some 3,000 people as part of his "American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. Kirk was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck, causing students and visitors to flee in panic.

Trump will attend Kirk funeral

Trump will attend Kirk's funeral in Phoenix, Arizona, he said on Fox.

On top of a visit to the United Kingdom next week, the president said he will "also go to a funeral for a great gentleman named Charlie Kirk, who should not be having a funeral right now."

-Zach Schermele

A minister turned suspect in, Trump says

A minister with a friend in law enforcement turned in the suspect in Kirk's killing, the president said.

"Somebody that was very close to him said that's him," Trump said. "The person that was involved was a person of faith, a minister."

-Zach Schermele

Trump says he hopes the suspect gets the death penalty

Trump said he hopes the suspect in Kirk’s shooting receives the death penalty.

“I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump said. “What he did – Charlie Kirk was the finest person.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called has called for prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, which is legal in the state.

Trump on lawmakers canceling events: 'It's a dangerous business'

Trump urged lawmakers canceling events in the wake of Kirk's assassination to "go forward" while monitoring security risks closely.

"It's a dangerous business," he said.

He pointed to the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year and suggested he could've had better protection.

-Zach Schermele

Charlie Kirk was a symbol for many young people. Now what?

Maybe they got sucked in when they saw him debating Kamala Harris supporters on TikTok. Maybe something he said about marriage sparked a reaction in them. Maybe his loud-and-proud brand of politics, no matter how controversial, gave them confidence.

Charlie Kirk, for many in the under-25 crowd, was a symbol. A hallmark of youth political organizing in the internet age. A person they revered or despised. Now, he's gone, fatally shot on a Utah college campus on Sept. 10.

For many Republicans, he was a culture warrior who could make inroads with young voters. For many Democrats, he was the epitome of Trump’s brand of combative conservatism. Across the political spectrum, young people are left reckoning with what his death means for their generation and grappling with how they feel about it.

- Rachel Hale

Watch the video of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect fleeing

Suspect 'blended in well with a college institution'

While authorities have not identified the suspect, they released new images of a person of interest wearing a black shirt with an American flag and an eagle, a hat with a triangle on it, sunglasses and a black backpack on Thursday night. Authorities also released security-camera footage showing a person going up stairwells to get onto a roof before firing at Kirk.

The suspect "blended in well with a college institution" and appeared to be of college age, according to Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason.

That person left palm impressions and "some smudges" on the building, Mason said. The video also showed the person crossing a street and moving into a wooded area near the Utah Valley University campus, where authorities said they found a "high-powered, bolt-action" rifle.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest.

Ex-Secret Service agent: Weapon found is 'gold mine of information'

Donald Lane, a former U.S. Secret Service agent with decades of experience in fugitive manhunts, told USA TODAY that the recovery of the rifle used in the killing of Kirk is a significant development for law enforcement.

"Recovering that weapon is absolutely huge," he said. "It's a gold mine of information."

Lane said experts analyzing the gun could discover fingerprints, DNA, or perhaps a serial number that could trace back to the shooter. He also noted other breakthroughs in the case, including palm and shoe prints discovered near the scene of the shooting.

- Christopher Cann

Authorities release photos of the person of interest

The Utah Department of Public Safety released more photos of the person of interest in Kirk's murder.

The agency released four photos and asked the public to report tips on the FBI website. The pictures show a man dressed in a black shirt, jeans, and a ballcap, and wearing a backpack.

US threatens action against foreigners praising Charlie Kirk's death

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau warned that the United States may take action against foreign nationals who glorify Kirk's killing.

"I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country," Landau said in a post on social media.

Landau's comments come months after the Trump administration introduced its new visa policy. Foreign nationals visiting or living in the country legally could lose their visa status if they violate the law under the new "catch and revoke" policy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in May.

In an email sent to USA TODAY, a state department spokesperson said that "this administration does not believe that the United States should grant visas to persons whose presence in our country does not align with US national security interests."

- Terry Collins

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect caught, Trump says: Live updates

Reporting by Thao Nguyen, Jeanine Santucci and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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