US authorities said Friday they had captured the man accused of killing prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk after a family member helped to turn him in after a frantic manhunt.

"We got him," Utah Governor Spencer Cox told a press conference.

Cox identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson and said the arrest was made after one of Robinson's relatives contacted a friend, who then contacted the police.

The arrest raised a bitterly divided country's hopes of finding answers to the shocking political murder on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old was killed after being hit by a single bullet in his neck while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University.

Kirk was an electrifying presence on the US far-right, with a talent for debate and a huge following that helped Trump build the youth v

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