PROVO: The suspect in the murder of prominent US conservative political activist Charlie Kirk will face charges in a Utah court on Tuesday.
Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead last week during a speaking event on a Utah university campus.
He founded the influential conservative youth political group Turning Point USA and was a father of two children.
Authorities identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as using a rifle to shoot Kirk with a single bullet to the neck from a rooftop location.
Robinson was arrested following an extensive 33-hour manhunt conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies.
Kirk built substantial support for conservative positions through his large audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube platforms.
His content included strong criticism of the transgender rights movement and carefully edited debate clips from college events.
FBI Director Kash Patel faces heavy criticism for initially announcing the arrest of a different suspect who was released two hours later.
Patel will undergo questioning from a Senate panel on Tuesday regarding the handling of the Kirk shooting investigation.
The FBI director has faced criticism from both political sides since his appointment by President Trump to lead the premier law enforcement agency.
The White House announced on Monday it would pursue an alleged left-wing “domestic terror movement” following Kirk’s killing.
This announcement has raised concerns about potential suppression of political dissent under the counterterrorism campaign. – AFP