Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah local who killed Charlie Kirk this week, is believed to have acted alone in what officials describe as a politically motivated assassination of the conservative activist.
Robinson was apprehended in southwestern Utah late Thursday after his family turned him in, authorities announced Friday morning. His arrest ended the 33-hour manhunt that followed Kirk’s death. The Turning Point USA cofounder was hosting a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University at the time of the fatal shooting. He left behind his wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children.
Robinson was a registered voter unaffiliated with any political party, according to Utah voting records. He was considered “inactive,” meaning he hadn’t voted in the last two general elections.
While he wasn’t political in the conventional sense, a family member told investigators that Robinson “had become more political in recent years,” Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) said on Friday.
The relative recounted how Robinson spoke about Kirk over a recent dinner and mentioned he was coming to speak in Utah, according to Cox.
“They talked about why they didn’t like [Kirk] and the viewpoints that he had,” the governor added. “The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”
Investigators uncovered a potential motive for Robinson to kill Kirk based on antifascist messages engraved on the bullet casings. One of the messages stated, “Hey fascist! Catch!” Another said, “Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao,” the lyrics of a famous Italian antifascist song.
Cox described what appeared to be the three-arrow symbol, an antifascist sign made famous during street fights in Weimar Germany. It is also part of a series of controller moves for a bomb air strike in the popular video game Helldivers. Another engraving related to online gaming read, “Notices bulges OWO what’s this?”
A separate message showed the phrase: “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”
Robinson’s responsibility for Kirk’s death was seemingly confirmed in a series of Discord messages with his roommate, who complied with law enforcement. The content of the messages shown to officers by the roommate outlined what Robinson allegedly did with the bolt-action rifle used to murder Kirk.
The messages discussed “stating a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel,” Cox said.
Authorities are confident Robinson is the killer based on the evidence compiled so far, but the investigation remains ongoing.
The lone gunman was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice. All three charges are felonies. He had no prior criminal record.
Cox announced Utah is pursuing the death penalty for the assassination suspect. The punishment received support from President Donald Trump, who was well-acquainted with Kirk.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK’S FATAL SHOOTING AND SUSPECT MANHUNT
Robinson did not attend UVU. However, he was a junior enrolled in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah, where his parents live. Previously, he attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021 and received concurrent enrollment credit through Utah Tech University while in high school from 2019 to 2021.
Officers arrested Robinson in St. George, over 260 miles southwest of UVU. He reportedly fled the campus immediately after the shooting.