‘We got him’: FBI identifies suspect arrested in Charlie Kirk shooting
The FBI has identified the suspect arrested in connection with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. During a press conference on Friday, law enforcement confirmed 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was arrested at 10 p.m. on Thursday, 33 hours after Kirk was shot.
“We got him,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox when kicking off the press conference.
“A family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend, who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied he had committed the incident,” Cox confirmed.
He said charges have not been filed, but are coming soon.
What we know
A family member who spoke to law enforcement said Robinson recently attended a family dinner, prior to Sept. 10, where he mentioned Kirk and his then-upcoming event in Utah. Robinson expressed his dislike for the conservative activist and the viewpoints he had.
Kirk was a big figure in conservative media and one of Trump’s close allies. He also founded Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics in high schools and colleges.
Investigators identified Robinson in surveillance footage from the university, showing him arriving on campus in a grey Dodge Challenger around 8:29 a.m. on Sept. 10. When Robinson was arrested, he was “observed in consistent clothing with those surveillance images.”
Cox confirmed agents also found Discord messages between Robinson and his roommate that related to a “need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where the rifle was left, and messages referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel.”
The messages also refer to engraved bullets. Law enforcement said the casing from the single bullet fired read, “Notices bulges OwO what’s this?” The unspent bullet casings had the following engravings, according to law enforcement:
- “Hey fascist! Catch!”
- “oh bella ciao, bella cio, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.”
- “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Robinson previously registered as a nonpartisan voter in Utah, and both of his parents are registered Republicans.
Law enforcement said it does not expect any additional arrests at this time, saying they believe Robinson acted alone.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who also spoke at the press conference, called the time frame in which Robinson was arrested “historic.”
“In less than 36 hours, 33 to be precise, thanks to the full weight of the federal government and leading out with the partners here in the state of Utah and Governor Cox, the suspect was apprehended in a historic time period.”
To wrap up the conference, Cox condemned Kirk’s attack:
“This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk, but it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us, an attack on the American experiment, it is an attack on our ideals. This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been and who we could be in better times.”
– Gov. Spencer Cox
Trump announces suspect arrest
The confirmation comes after President Donald Trump confirmed a suspect had been taken into custody during an interview on Fox News.
“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him — in custody … everyone did a great job we worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job,” Trump said.
In his interview, Trump said someone “very close to him turned him in.”
“I hope that he was going to be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump said in the interview. “What he did, Charlie Kirk, was the finest person but he didn’t deserve this. He worked so hard and so well. Everybody liked him. I’ve been watching, even the left is having a hard time.”
On Wednesday, when the manhunt began, Trump gave an address from the Oval Office, where he sought to blame the “radical left” for Kirk’s death. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, Robinson was a nonpartisan voter, and both his parents are registered Republicans.
Utah state records indicate he was an inactive voter, meaning he did not vote in the last two general elections.
Days-long manhunt
The suspect’s capture comes two days after Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Following his assassination, the FBI and local law enforcement began reviewing video from the area and tracking the shooter’s movements.
Beau Mason, the Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner, said that the shooter arrived on campus at 11:52 a.m. He said law enforcement has since tracked their movements through stairwells and up to the rooftop location where the shot was fired.
Thursday afternoon, the FBI released still images of a person of interest, asking the public for help in identifying him. The photos show an individual in sunglasses, a cap and a black shirt with an eagle and the U.S. flag.
The FBI also released video footage of the shooter fleeing the scene on Thursday. It shows a person springing across a campus rooftop just after the deadly shot, jumping down from the building, then hurrying off near a parking lot into the street.
Investigators later found a bolt-action rifle believed to be used in the attack, along with palm and shoe prints and possible DNA.
The suspected shooter remained at large for more than 30 hours after Kirk’s shooting at Utah Valley University. It’s unclear whether the FBI’s person of interest is the same person that Trump said is in custody.
Trump speaks to Kirk’s wife
While on Fox News, Trump revealed he spoke to Kirk’s wife on Thursday.
“I spoke to his wife yesterday. She’s like, devastated, but in between the devastation, they want to keep Turning Point going,” Trump said, referring to Kirk’s nonprofit organization.
Kirk’s wife was seen getting off Air Force Two on Thursday alongside Vice President JD Vance and his wife. She tearfully watched as her husband’s flag-covered coffin was removed from the jet.
Following the news of an arrest, Vance shared a post on X, asking for prayers for Kirk’s wife and their kids. “We took a big step this morning in getting justice for Charlie and for his family. Thanks be to God for that,” Vance said.
Kirk, who lived in Scottsdale, will be laid to rest in Arizona. Trump said he plans to attend the funeral.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
