American media reported that the suspect in the assassination of Mr. Charlie Kirk is Tyler Robinson, 22 years old. The person who handed Robinson over to the police was his father.
AP quoted a source as saying the suspect was named Tyler Robinson, 22 years old and from Utah.
According to US media, police arrested Robinson on the evening of September 11 (local time) when the suspect was in St. George, near Zion National Park, about 402 km southwest of the Utah Valley University campus where Charlie Kirk was assassinated.
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at an event on September 10.
Two photos posted by the FBI Salt Lake City account on September 11 with the content: “Asking for public assistance in identifying the person involved in the deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University”.
CNN reported that Robinson confessed to his father that he was the shooter. The father reported the incident to the police and kept watch over his son until police formally arrested him.
At a press conference on September 12, officials confirmed that the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was being held in the Utah County Jail. They did not disclose the suspect’s age.
Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson was from Utah and lived with his family in Washington County. Robinson was not a student at Utah Valley University, where the shooting occurred.
Mr. Cox also commented that up to now, Robinson is believed to have acted alone but the police are still investigating further.
Robinson’s roommate showed investigators messages on the Discord app that included Robinson needing to retrieve a rifle from a hiding spot and leave it in the bushes. One message mentioned the rifle being wrapped in a towel.
Cox said a family member told him he had made negative comments about the victim before the shooting. Robinson had mentioned Kirk at a dinner, saying “Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”
“In a conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned that Charlie Kirk was going to UVU. They discussed why they didn’t like him,” Cox said.
The governor added that a member of Robinson’s family contacted a friend, who called the sheriff’s office and provided information about Robinson’s confession.
Portrait of suspect Tyler Robinson. Photo: Utah Governor’s Office.
Police said at a press conference on September 11 that the suspect would face the death penalty if convicted of the murder. Officials said they had recovered the rifle used to shoot Kirk, along with video footage of the suspect and other evidence that identified him.
Before the official news of the suspect’s arrest, appearing on Fox News on September 12, Mr. Donald Trump announced that “someone very close” to the suspect had turned him over to law enforcement.
Near the end of the interview, the president said he was in a meeting about plans for the new White House ballroom when aides interrupted him.
“They came in and said, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’ I didn’t understand what was happening. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?’” – he recalled. “‘Charlie Kirk was shot,’ they said.”
Mr. Donald Trump quickly ended the meeting right after that: “I told everyone to go out.”
