The FBI confirmed Friday that Tyler Robinson, 22, has been taken into custody as the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University earlier this week. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) announced Robinson’s arrest at a press conference, declaring, “Good morning ladies and gentlemen — we got him.”
Authorities said Robinson implied his involvement in the attack during a conversation with a family member, who passed the information along to law enforcement. Cox detailed that Robinson’s family described him as becoming increasingly political in recent years. He also referenced a dinner conversation in which Robinson spoke about Kirk’s upcoming visit to Utah Valley University, criticizing Kirk as “full of hate and spreading hate.”
Investigators also found bullet casings, both used and unused, with messages etched into them, including “Hey fascist!” and “Catch!” as well as another reading, “If you read this, you are gay, lmao.” Surveillance footage showed Robinson arriving at the scene, and Discord messages reviewed by law enforcement revealed a conversation about retrieving a rifle hidden in a bush. Facial recognition matched Robinson to the footage, and items visible in the videos were recovered from him.
President Trump, appearing on “Fox & Friends,” had already hinted that a suspect was in custody. “So much work has been done over the last two and a half days…but yeah, I think we’re in great shape. And he’s in custody,” Trump said.
Kirk, 31, a close ally of the Trump family and frequent presence at conservative events, was shot and killed during his campus appearance Wednesday. The FBI said they recovered the rifle used in the attack and highlighted the suspect’s ability to blend in at a college campus. After images of a person of interest were circulated, the bureau received more than 11,000 tips, aided by a $100,000 reward offer. FBI Director Kash Patel praised the rapid response, saying agents made “historic progress” within 33 hours of the shooting.
Governor Cox emphasized that prosecutors have three days under Utah law to file charges, meaning formal charges may not come until next week. In an emotional moment, Cox described the shooting as not only an assassination of an individual but also “an attack on the American experiment” and the ideals of free expression. He called on Americans to reject political violence, warning that such attacks strike at the heart of democracy itself.