A suspect in custody for the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has been described as being full of hate.
Tyler Robinson, 22, from Utah, was arrested by law enforcement after a family member turned him in.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the arrest on Fox & Friends, saying that he had found out just five minutes before the interview.
Highlights
- Tyler Robinson, 22, from Utah, is in custody for the shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
- President Trump announced the arrest on Fox & Friends, revealing he had learned of it just minutes before the interview.
- Kirk was fatally shot in the neck at Utah Valley University by a single shot from about 200 yards away.
- Trump said someone close to the suspect recognized him and told the suspect's father.
Tyler Robinson has been arrested in connection with Charlie Kirk's murder
Image credits: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images
“I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody,” Trump said.
Kirk, 31, was killed after being shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
The shooter is believed to have fired a single shot from the Losee Center, about 200 yards away, before fleeing into a wooded area.
The FBI recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle and ammunition from the area, and released images and videos of the shooter in a bid to trace him.
Authorities also said they were analyzing evidence collected from the rooftop, including shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm print.
A $100,000 reward for any information leading to the identification and arrest of the gunman was announced.
Trump said a person "very close" to the suspect recognized the photos and turned him in and that he hoped, if it was indeed the person who killed Kirk, that he receives the death penalty.
He later went on to say that the person who recognized him went to the suspect's father, who then spoke to a U.S. Marshall.
Image credits: Handout
"The father convinced the son," Trump said.
"I hope that he was going to be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty," Trump said.
"What he did, Charlie Kirk, was the finest person, 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."
Governor Spencer Cox named Robinson as the suspect at a press conference and said he had implied or suggested to family members that he had murdered Kirk.
Robinson was described as being full of hate at a press conference
"We got him," Cox told reporters.
He said that a family member told investigators that Robinson had become more political in recent years, and that he was "full of hate and spreading hate."
Robinson's roommate also told investigators that Robinson had sent messages on Discord, which included talking about retrieving a rifle from a bush.
The messages, between the roommate and an account named "Tyler", mentioned leaving a rifle wrapped in a towel, engraving bullets and also spoke about changing clothing.
Cox said the weapon was a Mauser model 98 bolt-action rifle and it had a scope mounted on it.
He confirmed that the bullets that were not fired were inscribed with messages including: "Hey fascists!" "Catch!" "Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao" and a further one stated: "If you read this you are gay lmao."
"This is a very sad day for our county," Cox said.
When law enforcement officials traced Robinson, he was observed to be wearing a "plain maroon t-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light-colored shoes."
Cox said that Robinson was wearing that clothing before the shooting, got changed on the roof, and then changed back into the original clothing.
Image credits: FBI
Patel told reporters that forensic evidence had been seized and was being evaluated.
Over 11,000 tips were called into the FBI, Patel added, saying that every single lead would be followed.
Patel finished his statement by saying: "To my friend Charlie Kirk, rest now brother, we have the watch and I'll see you in Valhalla."
Patel paid tribute to Kirk and described him as a friend
Sheriff Mike Smith also spoke at the press conference, and like Patel and Cox, he commended the partnership between law enforcement in apprehending Robinson.
He further thanked the public for their prayers on behalf of the law enforcement community, and the Kirk family.
"Thank you everybody that stepped up, we've had such a phenomenal response to this."
Cox further addressed claims that the Kirk investigation had received more attention than other tragic events.
"It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, who we have been," Cox said.
"Political violence is different to many other types of violence for different reasons," Cox added. He said it made people fear sharing their own beliefs.
Image credits: George Frey/Getty Images
"That is why this matter so much," he continued. "Over the last 48 hours I have been as angry as I have ever been, as sad as I have ever been."
Cox said it was Kirk's words which pulled him back from the brink.
Those words were: "When people stop talking, that's when you get violence."
"Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much," he added.
"When you stop having a human connection with someone you disagree with, it becomes a lot easier to commit violence."
Cox directly addressed young people and said they were inheriting a country that feels like rage is the only option, but urged the younger generation to build a better culture.
He told reporters that he had been praying the suspect was not from Utah, and had hoped they drove from another state or another country.
"It did happen here. It was one of us," Cox said.
He further urged people from every political party to not choose violence and described social media as a "cancer in society right now."
Image credits: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Cox described it as a watershed moment in American history, but said whether it was the end of a dark chapter or the start of a dark chapter remained to be seen.
Robinson, who lived at home in Washington county, south-west Utah, drove to and from the campus to carry out the alleged shooting and he was not a student at the university.
Cox said there is a limit of three days for charges to be filed and more information will be announced next week.
As of now, there is no information that would lead to further arrests, he added.
Trump said Kirk's family is committed to continuing Turning Point USA
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Trump described Kirk as being like a son to him, and credited him for helping the GOP secure the youth vote in the 2024 presidential election.
"I didn't want to watch it," Trump said of the video showing Kirk being shot. "I didn't want to remember Charlie that way."
Trump spoke to Kirk's widow, Erika, and described her as being "devastated" but said the family is determined to keep Turning Point USA going.
Turning Point is a right-wing political group that advocates for Conservative politics on school and college campuses in the U.S.
On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance flew Kirk's body home on Air Force Two.
He was accompanied by Second Lady Usha Vance and Kirk's family, including his wife, Erika.
After Kirk's murder, Trump ordered flags at the White House to be flown at half-mast and said he would posthumously award Kirk the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.