Utah governor calls Charlie Kirk attack a 'political assassination' and reminds shooter that in the state, 'we still have the death penalty'

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Wednesday called the attack on conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk a "political assassination, while warning the perpetrator of the shooting that he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, recalling that the death penalty remains in effect in the state.

Kirk, who left behind a wife and two young children, died after being shot in the neck during an event at Utah Valley University in the city of Orem.

"Today is a dark day for our state. It's a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination," Cox said at a news conference. "We are celebrating two hundred and fifty years of the founding of this great nation, that founding document the Declaration of Independence, that this this great experiment on which we embarked together two hundred and fifty years ago, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. The first one of those is life. And today, a life was taken."

During his address, the governor noted that Kirk "was first and foremost a husband and a dad to two young children," but also a fierce advocate for debate and free speech on college campuses. "And when someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened," he warned.

Regarding the investigation into the killing, Cox said "we have a person of interest in custody," but insisted the process is still ongoing. "But 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. And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the city of Utah."

The governor, in turn, warned about the climate of political violence in the country: "Our nation is broken. We've had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination on a Governor of Pennsylvania. And we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former President of the United States, and now current President of the United States. Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing."

Finally, he called for national reflection: "We desperately need our country. We desperately need leaders in our country. But more than the leaders, we just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be. To ask ourselves, is this is this it? Is this what two hundred and fifty years has wrought on us? I pray that that's not the case. I pray that those who hated what Charlie Kirk stood for will put down their social media and their pens, and pray for his family, and that all of us, all of us, will try to find a way to stop hating our fellow Americans."

Ongoing investigation amid mixed messages

FBI Director Kash Patel had reported via social media hours earlier that the "subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody."

However, he then seemed to rectify, confusing the public: "The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency."