Here’s What We Know About Charlie Kirk’s Suspected Killer

Topline

A suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was identified Friday as Utah man Tyler Robinson, whose family identified him after law enforcement released surveillance footage of a suspected gunman as part of a dayslong manhunt.

Key Facts

Robinson, 22, was taken into custody after he confessed or suggested to a family member that he committed the killing, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Friday.

Robinson—who has yet to be formally charged—is being held in a county jail in Spanish Fork, Utah, on initial charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice, a local police officer told CNN.

Formal charges will be filed against Robinson on Tuesday, according to a statement from Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray’s office, which noted an accompanying press conference would be held at 2 p.m. EDT.

Robinson’s father told him to turn himself in and later called a youth pastor to assist, and the pastor then contacted the U.S. Marshals, CNN reported, citing a law enforcement official.

Ahead of Kirk’s appearance at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Robinson told family members about Kirk coming to the state and said Kirk was “full of hate and spreading hate,” according to Cox, who said casings left with a gun believed to be used in the shooting were inscribed with “Hey fascist! Catch!” and, “If you read this you are gay lmao,” among other messages.

Robinson was identified in video surveillance footage from Utah Valley University as arriving near the campus in a Dodge Challenger about four hours before the shooting, Cox said.

Cox said officials had uncovered physical evidence linking Robinson to the shooting, in addition to messages sent online to his friends indicating a need to “retrieve a rifle from a drop point.”

Robinson had lived “for a long time” in Washington County, Utah—about 260 miles south of the shooting—with his family, Cox said, and Robinson had attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021, the university confirmed in a statement.

Robinson was a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah, a spokesperson for Utah Valley University told CNN.

There are no state or national public records associated with Robinson indicating he had a prior record, NBC reported.

What Do We Know About Robinson’s Political Affiliations?

Robinson previously submitted voter registration in July 2021 and listed his political party as none, NBC News reported. A family member told law enforcement that Robinson had “become more political in recent years” and disclosed Robinson talked about why they “didn’t like [Kirk] and the viewpoints that he had,” Cox said. One of the unfired casings was engraved with “bella ciao,” Cox said, an apparent reference to a song used by an Italian anti-fascist resistance group during World War II, the New York Times reported.

What Do We Know About Robinson’s Arrest?

The New York Times reported, citing a law enforcement official, that a suspect was taken into custody around 11 p.m. local time Thursday by Utah state and local police in St. George, Utah, near Zion National Park. Robinson was found wearing clothes similar to those seen in surveillance footage and he was tracked after his vehicle was identified on Utah Valley University’s campus, Cox said.

What Has Donald Trump Said About Tyler Robinson?

President Donald Trump said Friday morning that an unnamed suspect was in custody, suggesting “somebody that was very close” to the suspect turned them in. Trump said he believed the shooting “seems to be” an isolated incident, and echoed Cox’s earlier calls for the suspect to face the death penalty if found guilty: “He’s going to be found guilty, I would imagine.”

Key Background

Kirk, 31, was shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. A “person of interest” was detained shortly after but was released from custody after law enforcement determined they “did not match the shooting suspect,” while another suspect was later detained and released after interrogation, FBI Director Kash Patel said at the time. The FBI said Thursday that officials recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle believed to be used in the shooting, and released surveillance footage from the university showing a suspect wearing a T-shirt with an American flag, black shoes, sunglasses and a black hat. In the shooting’s aftermath, Trump claimed the “radical left” was “directly responsible” for Kirk’s death. Kirk, a right-wing political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, hosted a daily radio show, “The Charlie Kirk Show,” and appeared periodically as a voice in culture wars on college campuses.

Further Reading