Tyler Robinson, the suspect in custody for the assassination of Charlie Kirk, is a 22-year-old from Utah. Authorities provided the update on Friday (September 12), per the Associated Press. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox identified Robinson during a news conference about the arrest with FBI Director Kash Patel and other officials. Ahead of the conference, President Donald Trump said “with a high degree of certainty” that the gunman in Kirk’s killing was caught. Tyler Robinson’s mugshot has since been released.
RELATED: Trump Ally & Conservative Political Figure, Charlie Kirk, Fatally Shot During Utah College Event
Tyler Robinson Named Suspect In Charlie Kirk’s Shooting (MUGSHOT)
Charlie Kirk was a victim of a targeted attack on Wednesday (September 11). At the time, he spoke to a crowd gathered in a courtyard at Utah Valley University in Orem. A single shot killed the Turning Point USA co-founder. He had been speaking at a debate hosted by his Arizona-based nonprofit political organization.
At Friday’s press conference, FBI Director Kash Patel shared a timeline of the investigation. He said the first FBI agents arrived on the scene about 16 minutes after the suspect shot Kirk. The FBI released the first photos of the suspect on Thursday morning. Then came the announcement of a $100,000 cash reward. The agency also released a video of the suspect climbing down from the roof of a campus building and running away.
According to FBI Director Patel, officials finally detained him on Thursday at 10 p.m. local time after a massive manhunt. Tyler Robinson’s mugshot began circulating on Friday. Robinson is in custody on suspicion of capital murder, weapons and obstruction offenses. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.
Suspect’s Father Reportedly Helped With His Capture, Mom’s Social Media Posts Surface
A law enforcement official told AP that Tyler Robinson’s father recognized him from images authorities released. His dad reportedly encouraged him to turn himself in. Robinson refused at first, but then allegedly changed his mind. His father reached out for help to a youth pastor, who helped Robinson turn himself in.
Amid the suspect’s arrest, more details are surfacing about him. According to his mother’s social media posts, Robinson’s parents have been married for about 25 years, and he has two younger brothers. The family lives in a suburb of St. George in southern Utah, about a 3.5-hour drive south of the crime scene, the Utah Valley University campus. The mother’s social media posts suggest his family was active. She has photos of vacations to Disneyland, Alaska and St. Kitts. They’ve spent time outdoors fishing, zip-lining and target shooting.
Meanwhile, a Utah State University spokesperson says Tyler attended for only one semester in 2021. A social media post shows that he was admitted on a prestigious academic scholarship. Utah state records say Tyler Robinson was registered as a voter. However, his registration is not affiliated with either political party.
More Details About Evidence Against Charlie Kirk
More than 7,000 leads and tips had poured in as authorities responded to Charlie Kirk’s shooting. Officials later found a Mauser .30-caliber, bolt-action rifle in a towel in the woods. The gun’s chamber has a spent cartridge, and three other rounds loaded in the magazine, per AP.
Utah Gov. Cox said investigators discovered bullet casings with several inscriptions engraved on them. The casing that had been fired read: “notices bulges OWO what’s this?” Cox said there were three unfired casings. One read, “hey fascist! catch!” with an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols. Another one read: “oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao.” Lastly, the third fired casing read: “if you read this you are gay lmao.”
Additionally, a roommate shared messages with police from a contact named Tyler on Discord, a chatting app. The texts discussed a rifle wrapped in a towel, engraved bullets and a scope. Moreover, the clothes matched when police bagged Tyler late Thursday. He had on the same clothes he wore when he arrived on campus the day before.
