Police have identified the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah man who authorities say became more political ahead of the shooting and recently expressed animosity toward Kirk.
Robinson, who is believed to have acted alone, came to the attention of the authorities after he contacted a family friend following the assassination, Utah Governor Spencer Cox revealed during a Friday morning press conference. That friend reported Robinson to the local sheriff’s office and Robinson’s father, a veteran police officer, then orchestrated his surrender to authorities at his home in Washington County, Utah.
The alleged gunman is expected to face at least three felony charges, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC News. Cox said state law requires authorities to file the charging documents within three days.
Robinson appears to have become more political ahead of the shooting and criticized Kirk by name at a recent dinner, a family member of Robinson’s told authorities. Robinson said Kirk was “full of hate” and accused him of “promoting hate,” Cox said, though the affidavit, released later, indicates another family member may have made those remarks.
Robinson’s arrest comes after authorities had recovered a high-powered bolt action rifle they believe was used in the assassination, along with unspent rounds that were engraved with antifascist writing.
“Hey fascist, catch,” read the engraving on one round. Another round was engraved with the message “Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao,” a reference to a song favored by resistance movements and revolutionary anti-capitalist partisans.
Kirk was shot in the neck on Wednesday while taking questions in front of a large crowd at Utah Valley University during an event for his American Comeback Tour.
The suspect fired a single shot from a rooftop roughly 200 meters from the stage before climbing off the roof and fleeing into a wooded area, according to authorities. The suspect was believed to have fled into a nearby suburban area.
Kirk, a father to two young children, died in the hospital after he was rushed there in a private vehicle.
Trump said during the Friday interview that he did not watch the graphic videos of Kirk being struck by the bullet, which were widely disseminated on social media.
“I didn’t watch,” said. “I heard about it… I would have never made a good doctor, let me put it that way,” Trump said.
“I mean, I heard enough. I didn’t want to watch it… I didn’t want to remember Charlie that way.”
Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings committed by transgender people when he was fatally shot.
On Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a person of interest had been taken into custody. However, that individual was later released following an interrogation. Earlier on Wednesday, police arrested a suspect at UVU but the man was let go after it was determined he did not commit the murder.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Wednesday that Kirk was the victim of a “political assassination” and floated the possibility of the death penalty for the assassin.
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder of Turning Point USA. He launched the group, which is a national student movement focused on limited government and free-market principles, in 2012 at the age of 18 with Tea Party organizer Bill Montgomery.
Kirk served as the executive director of TPUSA and the host of The Charlie Kirk Show, a conservative talk radio program.
He was speaking on the Utah campus as part of his 14-city American Comeback Tour. The tour has drawn protests and petitions from student groups who are critical of Kirk and his conservative views.
An online petition calling on UVU administrators to ban Kirk from speaking on campus received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university, for its part, defended its decision to host Kirk, affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”
In a show of Kirk’s prolific influence on the conservative movement, President Trump announced Thursday that he will posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and inspiration to millions and millions of people,” Trump said of Kirk.
The president also ordered flags flown at half-must until Sunday evening in Kirk’s honor.
Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two young children.
His casket will be flown from Utah to his home in Arizona aboard Air Force Two, according to the Associated Press. Vice President JD Vance, who traveled to Utah to pay his respects to Kirk’s family, will reportedly fly to Arizona with Kirk’s friends and family.