Donald Trump claimed ‘high degree of certainty’ killer was caught before Robinson (22) was named
Utah’s governor Spencer Cox said yesterday that Tyler Robinson (22) confided in a family member, who called their church minister, who in turn contacted a local sheriff. According to US media reports, the family member was the father of the accused.
Mr Cox said the suspected gunman had indicated to a family friend afterwards that he was responsible.
People attend a vigil in the Utah town of Otem where Charlie Kirk was shot at a university event. Photo: Jim Urquhart/Reuters
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The Republican governor also cited as key pieces of evidence engravings on bullets found in a rifle believed to have been used in the attack, as well as instant-messaging app communications attributed to the suspect, which a roommate shared with law enforcement.
The bolt-action rifle was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the Utah Valley University campus, with a scope mounted on top.
Messages on a fired bullet casing said: “Notices, bulges, OwO what’s this?”.
Inscriptions were also found on three unfired casings reading: “Hey fascist! Catch!” with an up arrow, a right arrow and three down arrows, “Oh Bella, ciao, bella, ciao Bella ciao ciao ciao” and “If you read this, you are gay LMAO”.
Mr Cox called Mr Kirk’s killing an “attack on the American experiment”, and urged a new generation to “choose a different path”.
“This is our moment: do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp?” Mr Cox asked, making an impassioned plea for young people to bridge differences through common ground rather than violence. “It’s a choice.”
Mr Robinson is believed to have acted alone, and the investigation is ongoing, according to Mr Cox.
News of his arrest yesterday was disclosed by US president Donald Trump, who said in a Fox News Channel interview that, “with a high degree of certainty, we have him”.
It came hours after the FBI and state officials had pleaded for public help by releasing additional photographs of the suspect, a move that seemed to indicate that law enforcement was uncertain of the person’s whereabouts.
Mr Kirk was killed by a single shot, in what police said was a targeted attack and Utah’s governor called a political assassination.
Mr Kirk co-founded the non-profit political organisation Turning Point USA, based in Arizona.
Authorities who recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle near the scene, said the shooter jumped off a roof and disappeared into the nearby woods.
Mr Kirk had been speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point at Utah Valley University at the time of Wednesday’s shooting. He was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead hours later.
A mugshot of suspected shooter Tyler Robinson. Photo: Reuters
“He wanted to help young people, and he didn’t deserve this,” Mr Trump said. “He was really a good person.”
On Thursday, federal investigators and state officials had released photos and a video of the person they believe is responsible.
More than 7,000 leads and tips had poured in, officials said.
The shooter, who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a college-age appearance, fired one shot from the rooftop, according to authorities.
Video released on Thursday showed the person then walking through the grass and across the street before disappearing.
“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City, said.
Mr Trump, who was joined by Democrats in condemning the violence, said he would award Mr Kirk the presidential medal of freedom – the highest civilian honour in the US.
US vice-president JD Vance and his wife, Usha, visited Mr Kirk’s family on Thursday in Salt Lake City. Mr Vance posted a remembrance on social media platform X chronicling their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Mr Vance’s Senate run and the 2024 election.
“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organise and convene,” Mr Vance wrote.
“He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”
Mr Kirk’s coffin was flown aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Phoenix.
Mr Trump told reporters he plans to attend Mr Kirk’s funeral.