President Donald Trump revealed that his youngest son, Barron Trump, was deeply affected by the tragic d:eath of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, a popular political activist, was shot d:e:ad on Wednesday in an event at Utah Valley University shortly after answering a question regarding mass sh:ootings in the US.

Given Kirk’s relative fame and history of generating viral clips through the debates commonly occurring at his talks, it was hardly surprising that a good many event goers were filming with their mobile phones at the moment when the shot – believed to have come from the rooftop of a nearby building – was fired.

Said videos immediately made their way to the internet, with many of them doing the rounds.

Social media has erupted in the wake of Kirk’s d:eath, with political figures from both the right and left of US politics having condemned the sh:ooting.

A concentrated manhunt has been underway since Wednesday. Yesterday the FBI released footage of a suspect climbing down from a nearby rooftop and skirting the edge of a car park before disappearing.

Following the finding of a rifle and ammunition, wrapped in a blanket in a wood area close by the university campus, images of the suspected shooter soon emerged.

Donald Trump made an appearance on Fox News, where he announced that a suspect had been taken into custody.

During his appearance, he was asked about the process of telling children about the horrific incident, and how he would broach the subject with his youngest son, Barron Trump.

Trump revealed that his son Barron and Kirk had lunch together after Barron had revealed his wish to meet the right-wing influencer.

“Barron’s a very good student, and Barron came to me and said he would like to meet someone you know: Charlie Kirk,” Trump explained.

“I set up a lunch, he came back and said ‘that guy’s great, dad’. Charlie had a magic over the kids, and very diverse, black white.

“He was very hurt when he saw this.”

Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk.