Suspect in Charlie Kirk assassination named as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson
The suspected gunman who shot and killed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk during a student rally at a Utah campus has been named as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
Robinson was born in 2003 and is from Utah, according to five senior law enforcement officials.
He is thought to have been turned in by his own father, a 27-year veteran law enforcement officer with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Two senior law enforcement officials said a family member saw photos of the suspect and handed him in to police as the FBI scrambled to track him down in a two-day manhunt.
A motive behind the public execution of such a high-profile individual with close ties to the US President remains unclear.
Inscriptions engraved on bullet casings from the high-powered bolt action rifle recovered by officials read "Hey fascist! Catch!", the FBI revealed.
"Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao," another read.
Robinson "had become more political in recent years," a family member told investigators, according to Utah governor Spencer Cox.
The family member mentioned a recent dinner where Robinson brought up how Charlie Kirk was coming to Utah Valley University, Cox said.
He added that they "talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints he had" and discussed how "Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate".
The Utah governor then thanked Robinson’s family members, who "did the right thing" by turning him in.
"It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been and, and who we could be in better times," Mr. Cox said referring to Kirk’s assassination.
Robinson was reportedly arrested in St. George, Utah, near Zion National Park, about 250 miles southwest of the campus where Kirk was killed, according to a law enforcement official who requested anonymity.
Investigators interviewed Robinson’s roommate, who said the suspect made a comment on the instant messaging service Discord mentioning he needed to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush.
The 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," Mr. Cox added.
Speaking at a press briefing following his arrest, FBI director Kash Patel said: "In 33 hours, we have made historic progress for Charlie."
Authorities had appealed for help finding Robinson, with the FBI offering a $100,000 reward for information that could lead to his identification as they scrambled to track down the suspected killer.
Up to 11,000 leads had been shared with the authorities, the FBI said.
A high-powered bolt action rifle used to shoot and kill Kirk was recovered by officials yesterday as the search closed in.
Robinson has since been booked into Utah County Jail.
Father-of-two Kirk was shot in the neck 20 minutes into a student-sponsored event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday in front of an audience of 3,000.
Kirk, who was known for holding outdoor debates on campuses across the US, was responding to a question from an audience member about mass shootings when a shot rang out.
Graphic footage shared online shows Kirk sustained a serious injury to his neck. Spectators can be seen screaming and running away after the shot was fired.
Kirk was taken to hospital but just a few hours later President Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social.
He wrote: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.
"He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
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