Charlie Kirk killing suspect identified, in custody after family tipoff

Hadriana Lowenkron and Myles Miller, Bloomberg News on Sep 12, 2025

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The suspect in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, from Utah, officials said at a news briefing Friday.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said that investigators arrested Robinson after a family member alerted authorities that he had confessed, or at least implied involvement, in the killing. The tip was passed from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to investigators at Utah Valley University and the FBI, who then reviewed surveillance footage of Robinson arriving on campus in a gray Dodge Challenger the morning of Sept. 10.

The video showed Robinson in a plain maroon T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light shoes. When investigators encountered him in Washington County in the early hours of Sept. 12, he was wearing clothes consistent with those images, Cox said.

A family member told investigators that Robinson had become more political in recent years. The relative recalled a dinner shortly before the shooting when Robinson mentioned Kirk’s planned appearance at UVU and criticized him as “full of hate and spreading hate.” The same family member confirmed Robinson drove a gray Challenger.

Investigators also interviewed Robinson’s roommate, who said Robinson had made a joke on Discord. When pressed, the roommate opened the app and allowed investigators to photograph messages linked to a contact named “Tyler.” The messages included references to retrieving a rifle from a drop point, leaving it wrapped in a towel in a bush, engraving bullets and using a distinctive scope. One message noted that Robinson had changed outfits.

Cox added that speculation about writing found on shell casings at the scene was correct, and investigators were reviewing those markings as part of the case.

President Donald Trump said earlier the suspect was in custody after an extensive manhunt for the shooter.

The president’s comments follow the fatal shooting of Kirk on Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University and an extensive search for the shooter. Kirk, 31, executive director of Turning Point USA and a close ally of Trump, was shot in the neck as he spoke at an outdoor student event before a crowd of more than 3,000. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

FBI Director Kash Patel said it took 33 hours from the shooting for Robinson to be taken into custody.

Patel said the FBI’s rapid push for public assistance generated more than 11,000 leads in two days. “The arrest is a testament to the dedication of good law enforcement and the strength of our partnerships,” he said.

The FBI on Thursday recovered what they believed was the high-powered rifle use to kill Kirk and released photos of the person of interest. On Thursday night, federal investigators then released a surveillance video as the manhunt for the gunman intensified.

The video showed a suspect dropping from the roof of a building, hitting the ground hard and leaving behind palm smudges and a shoe print. Law enforcement also provided additional details about the suspect’s clothing, including a T-shirt with an American flag, black Converse shoes and a baseball cap with a triangle.

Robert Bohls, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City office, has disclosed that the bolt-action rifle was found in a wooded area near the school in Orem, where the gunman fled after the attack. The weapon is being examined at the bureau’s laboratory, along with other evidence that includes footwear impressions and palm prints collected at the scene.

Cox, the governor, has said that the state of Utah will be pursuing the death penalty when the suspect is caught.

“I hope he was going to be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump added Friday. “What he did. Charlie Kirk was the finest person that he didn’t deserve this. He worked so hard and so well. Everybody liked him.”

Asked if the shooter was part of a broader plot or network, Trump said that it appeared to be a one-off incident but that it was still unclear with the investigation continuing.

“Seems to be,” Trump said. “Well you don’t know, I mean, you don’t know.”

Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 with Bill Montgomery. The nonprofit supports “identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets, and limited government,” among high school and college students, according to his LinkedIn profile. The group was widely seen as instrumental in getting young voters to support Trump’s reelection last year.

Kirk was at UVU for his group’s American Comeback Tour, and was addressing mass shootings when he was shot.