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The two-day hunt for the man who killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk ended Thursday night when Utah authorities took 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson into custody. Officials say tips from his own family set the arrest in motion after relatives recognized him in the FBI-released images. One relative said Robinson had confessed or implied that he was involved in the shooting. “We got him,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters Friday, thanking the public for thousands of leads as investigators pieced together video, digital messages, and physical evidence left at the scene.
President Donald Trump broke the news during a live Fox & Friends interview. “I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump said, adding, “essentially, someone who knew him turned him in. The president later emphasized that he hopes the suspect gets the death penalty if found guilty. Since then, media outlets have flooded the internet with details on Robinson’s arrest and what led up to it. Here is what we know so far.
The Shooting
On Wednesday, September 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was speaking during a “Prove Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University, part of his “American Comeback Tour,” in front of a crowd of about 3,000. His last conversation, which was on gun violence, went like this:
An audience member asked, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?”
“Too many,” said Kirk.
The speaker said there have been five and then asked, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk replied – then a bullet struck him in the neck.
Law enforcement started collecting information, looking for witnesses, and gathering surveillance videos, including cell phone footage from attendees. CNN reviewed 911 dispatch calls immediately following the shooting. One caller told emergency response that the “current speaker” had “just got shot in the head.” Another said the shot came “from above the railing, above the courtyard.” A third caller reported, “He got shot right in the neck.” Those reports matched video evidence and the medical outcome.
Investigators were able to track the alleged assassin’s movements from when he was first seen on video walking across Campus Drive and then through a parking lot that led to a pedestrian tunnel. Police said Robinson appeared to be limping before the shooting, walking with a stiff right leg. He paused at the top of the stairs to retrieve what looked to be a cell phone from his pocket, then made his way to the Losee Center. The suspect was then seen entering the building. At around 12:17 p.m. local time, video shows him appearing to crouch down by the wall of the rooftop, and within five minutes, he stood up and started running across the roof. He lay down in a prone position atop the roof, and at 12:23 p.m., Charlie Kirk was shot. Surveillance footage shows Robinson hop to his feet, run to the corner of the building, and then lower himself down to the grass below. He ran across Campus Drive and disappeared into a nearby neighborhood, according to reports.
“Political violence is different than any other type of violence for lots of different reasons, one because in the very act that Charlie championed of expression, that freedom of expression that is enshrined in our founding documents, in having his life taken that … makes it more difficult for people to feel like they can share their ideas, that they can speak freely,” Gov. Cox said during a press conference.
The Arrest
At around 11 p.m. local time on September 11, Tyler James Robinson was arrested for the assassination of Charlie Kirk. According to a news conference on Friday, September 12, the suspect’s roommate showed police postings that Robinson made on Discord, a platform for texting, messaging, and video sharing. He allegedly discussed details of the crime, including comments about stowing a rifle at a “drop point,” Governor Cox said. Robinson reportedly explained how he disposed of the weapon by wrapping it in a towel and mentioned that some bullets were engraved.
Besides the video evidence, law enforcement found the suspect’s weapon, a Mauser .30-06 hunting rifle, and Cox revealed that police recovered a spent casing and three unfired rounds with inscriptions on them. The fired casing read, “Notices, bulges, OWO, what’s this?” An unfired one was engraved with “oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao.” Another read, “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.” Etched on the third was “Hey fascist! Catch!” followed by a series of arrows, one pointing up, one pointing to the right, and three pointing down.
Authorities tracked his car from the campus to his home. Family members confirmed that Robinson drove a gray Dodge Challenger, much like the one law enforcement had noticed. There’s also the matter of an outfit change. Gov. Cox said the suspect was reportedly wearing the same clothes he was seen in before the shooting, which was not the same outfit as he was supposedly dressed in at the time of the assassination.
Although details are still surfacing, this is what we know about Tyler James Robinson. Public records and interviews suggest he was a high-achieving student who once scored at the top of standardized tests. He graduated from a Washington County high school in 2021 and attended Utah State University for one semester before shifting his education to technical training. He lived with his parents in southern Utah and had no known criminal record. His political preference is not known: He submitted voter registration in 2021 and listed his party as none. But his hatred for Charlie Kirk was evident, according to family members who said he had “become more political in recent years.”
“The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to Sept. 10, and in the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU [Utah Valley University],” Cox said. “They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”
Robinson is being held on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, and obstruction of justice. In Utah, aggravated murder is the only capital offense, and prosecutors need to decide whether to seek the death penalty. If they don’t, the non-capital version of aggravated murder carries a sentence of life without parole or 25 years to life. Cox has already said the state will pursue the harshest punishment possible.
“This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination – political assassination – of Charlie Kirk,” Cox said. “But it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual. 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 who we could be in better times.”
Kash Patel said the case had become the bureau’s top domestic priority this week. He closed with a tribute: “Rest now brother. We have the watch, and I’ll see you in Valhalla.”