Investigators with the FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety have just concluded their news briefing, the first since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. Moments before the briefing, FBI Director Kash Patel said a suspect had been caught.

Here's what officials on the ground in Utah said:

• Kirk was taken to hospital by his own private security, where he died

• One person was arrested immediately after the shooting, but was released after officials determined that he was not involved in the attack - although he will still be charged with obstruction of justice
• The officials in the briefing then contradicted each other over if the suspected shooter was actually in custody, with police saying an active search was under way
• Governor Cox, who said he recently spoke with Patel, then said that the suspect was in custody

• CCTV captured the attacker, who was seen wearing all black and possibly shot from a roof on campus
• Utah Governor Spencer Cox called for Americans to stop "hating" each other, and referred to Kirk's death as "a political assassination"
• The chief of police for the university said there were six officers working security for the event, and that there were about 3,000 people in attendance

The shooting suspect wore all dark clothing and possibly shot from a roof, according to Beau Mason from the Utah Department of Public Safety.

He says authorities have CCTV footage of the suspect, but didn't provide a further description of what the person in the footage looks like.

"Our nation is broken," says an emotional Cox.

He raises other political assassinations and attempts in recent months, from the June shooting death of a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, as well as the wounding of another lawmaker and his wife, the attempted attack on Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and the two attempted assassinations of Donald Trump during the presidential campaign last year.

Image source, Reuters

Utah's governor condemns anyone who "celebrated, even a little bit" Kirk's death.

About Kirk, he says: "I don't care what his politics are. I care that he was an American."

Cox notes that America is celebrating its 250 anniversary of its founding next year, and that citizens need to ask themselves: "Is this it? Is this what 250 years has wrought upon us?"

"I pray that is not the case," he continues, calling on Americans to stop "hating" each other, recalling other recent incidents of political violence in the US.

Cox says Kirk was first and foremost a dad to two young children.

He says he was also politically involved, and that's why he was on campus.

Cox says historically university campuses have been a place where ideas are formulated and debated, and that's what Kirk does - he goes to university campuses and publicly debates people who disagree with him politically.

The governor then says a person of interest is in custody and that there is not another suspect at large, contradicting what Utah department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said a few minutes ago.

"At this point there is no information that would lead us to believe there is a second person involved," Cox says.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox, says he has been in touch with President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel.

"This is a dark day for our state, it's a tragic day for our nation," he says, calling the shooting "a political assassination".

Image source, Reuters

A spokesman from Utah Valley University, where Kirk was speaking when he was shot, says they are shocked and saddened "by the tragic passing" of Kirk.

The spokesman says Kirk had been invited to speak on campus.

He says the campus is a place to debate openly and respectfully. "Any attempt to infringe on those rights has no place here."

Image source, Reuters

The FBI agent co-leading the investigation out of the Salt Lake City office is now speaking.

"On behalf of the FBI, we extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Charlie Kirk," he says.

He pledges that the FBI will dedicate "full resources" including "tactical operational investigative and intelligence".

He adds that investigators are "setting up digital media tip line" to collect information from the public.

Image source, Reuters

Mason says one shot was fired and that there was only one victim: Charlie Kirk.

He says the suspect in the shooting is still at large.

A few moments ago, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media that a "subject" in the shooting had been taken into custody.

Mason says that shortly after the shooting, authorities had a suspect in custody, but that person was then was released.

That person was booked for obstruction of justice.

Authorities are still conducting an active investigation for a person of interest, Mason says.

As a reminder, FBI Director Kash Patel has just posted on social media that a "subject" in the shooting has been taken into custody. It's not clear whether this person is the person of interest referenced by Mason.

Image source, Reuters

The briefing has started and Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason is the first to speak.

He says Charlie Kirk was shot and taken by a private vehicle to hospital, where he died.

Image source, Reuters

FBI Director Kash Patel says a subject in the shooting today is now in custody.

"The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with @fbi. We will provide updates when able," he says.

A news conference in Utah is about to begin, we'll bring you any more updates here.

We're waiting for a news conference by investigators in Utah in the coming moments.

It's not yet clear which law enforcement agencies will be addressing journalists.

The FBI is assisting the investigation.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.

We earlier reported that the shot seems to have been fired from an "elevated position" in an academic building - either from a rooftop or open window.

A source now tells our US partner, CBS, that the attacker appears to have fired from the roof of the school's Losee Center.

Kirk's organisation, Turning Point USA, has released a statement confirming the activist's death.

"It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Charles James Kirk has been murdered by a gunshot," the statement reads.

The statement offered condolences and prayers for Kirk's family and loved ones, asking the public to respect their privacy.

The shot that killed Charlie Kirk appears to have been fired from an "elevated position in an academic building", around 100-200 yards away, multiple sources tell the BBC's US partner, CBS.

It is not clear whether the shot was fired from a rooftop or open window.

Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Reuters

It's become very quiet - and very sombre - at the White House following President Trump's announcement that Charlie Kirk has died.

Just a few moments ago, members of the White House press pool gathered outside after being told that the American flags at the White House were being lowered to half-staff.

It was very quiet outside when that announcement came through, and the only sounds I heard for a few moments were the shutters of cameras and a few reporters speaking softly into cameras, or amongst themselves.

The flag at the North Lawn of the White House came down at exactly 17:20pm EST. The flag on the South Lawn has also been lowered.

There are few staffers still immediately visible in the offices.

Earlier, there was a clear, visceral sense of shock among them. Kirk had close ties with the president, his family and members of the administration - and many of even the younger, junior staffers are members of his enormous, intensely engaged audience of young US conservatives.

Former President Barack Obama has posted on X, offering his condolences to Kirk's family.

"We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy," he writes.

"Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children."

We can bring you some more reactions from Trump's administration, after the death of Charlie Kirk.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he is "heartbroken" and "outraged", calling his death an "assassination". "Charlie Kirk's commitment to America's future generations and sense of patriotism will resonate for decades to come," he said.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called Kirk "the most extraordinary husband and father".

"America has lost one of its greatest champions," Miller said. "All of us must now dedicate ourselves to defeating the evil that stole Charlie from this world."

We're now hearing from another eyewitness who was at Utah Valley University where Charlie Kirk was speaking before he was shot.

Adam Bartholomew says he was at the event interviewing counter protestors that were speaking against Charlie Kirk's presence on campus.

He says he heard a shot and everybody dropped to the floor.

"There was confusion and people started scrambling for the exits," he tells the BBC.

Bartholomew says there were about 50 or 60 people protesting against Kirk.

Prior to the shooting he says the mood at the event was "great" and people were chanting "U.S.A".

The anti-Kirk protestors were chanting in response with profanities against Kirk, he says

"Several people are in tears," he says of the atmosphere after the shooting.

Bartholomew says he was "surprised" that there was no security at the event. "Nobody stopped me or searched my bag."