Charlie Kirk Suspect ‘Implied’ To Family He Was Behind Shooting Before Arrest

Authorities have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah as the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a student event at Utah Valley University. The update was delivered Friday morning by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, who confirmed Robinson’s arrest following a sweeping investigation that spanned several days and involved federal, state, and local officials.

Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA and a fixture in conservative politics, was shot and killed on Wednesday while participating in a Q&A session with students at Utah Valley University, located south of Salt Lake City. The shocking incident set off a large-scale search that mobilized law enforcement at every level.

On Friday, Cox appeared alongside FBI Director Kash Patel to announce Robinson’s arrest. “We got him,” the governor said, adding that the capture was the result of coordinated efforts and multiple investigative leads. Investigators say Robinson’s own relatives provided key information that helped break the case.

Investigators say Robinson’s own relatives provided key information that helped break the case. A family member reportedly reached out to a friend, who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. According to NBC, "Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident." Relatives also told investigators that Robinson’s political views had hardened in recent years, and he had openly expressed disdain for Kirk’s ideas.

Robinson is currently being held at the Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork. According to a probable cause affidavit, prosecutors intend to pursue charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm resulting in serious injury, and obstruction of justice. Formal filings are expected in the coming days, with officials noting that prosecutors are working directly with Kirk’s family as the case moves forward. Robinson is anticipated to make his first court appearance early next week.

Authorities confirmed Thursday that investigators found a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” hidden in a wooded area near the Utah Valley University campus, consistent with details uncovered in Robinson’s online messages. Governor Spencer Cox identified the weapon as a Mauser 98 chambered in .30-06, equipped with a mounted scope.

Alongside the rifle, investigators recovered several shell casings engraved with bizarre and taunting messages, including “Hey fascists! Catch!” and “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”

Shortly after Kirk’s death was confirmed, President Donald Trump released a nearly four-minute video from the Oval Office. While he began by praising Kirk’s career and calling him a devoted young family man, Trump quickly shifted into controversial territory.

“All Americans and the media must confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” Trump said, adding, “For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.”

The remarks sparked immediate backlash, with critics accusing Trump of exploiting Kirk’s death to advance a partisan narrative and threatening to weaponize government power against his opponents.

On Thursday, September 11, Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was photographed as a motorcade carried his body to Hansen Mortuary Chapel in Phoenix, Arizona. Supporters lined the streets to pay their respects, and Erika was seen waving to the crowd from her vehicle while clutching a cross on a chain.

Earlier in the day, she was joined by second lady Usha Vance as they accompanied Kirk’s body back to Arizona following his assassination in Utah. Cameras captured the two women walking hand-in-hand down the steps of Air Force Two, with Vice President JD Vance following close behind.

Charlie and Erika tied the knot in May 2021, years after she was crowned Miss Arizona USA in 2012. Now, the widow and the couple’s two young children are left to mourn a husband and father whose life was cut tragically short.