Utah officials announced Friday that a 22-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a university campus earlier this week, saying a family tip helped lead investigators to the suspect.
Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters that Tyler Robinson, who is not a student at Utah Valley University, was taken into custody in southwest Utah and charged with aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily injury. Aggravated murder in Utah can carry the possibility of the death penalty. President Donald Trump, appearing on Fox & Friends, said he believed “with a high degree of certainty” the shooter had been caught and relayed that someone close to the suspect had turned him in.
Cox said a family member of Robinson contacted a family friend, who then notified the Washington County Sheriff’s Office after the relative said Robinson had confessed or implied involvement in the shooting. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We got him," Cox said at a news conference. The governor told reporters that a family member told investigators Robinson had become "more political in recent years" and that a recent dinner conversation included remarks about why the family member and Robinson opposed Kirk, calling Kirk "full of hate, and spreading hate."
Authorities said Robinson lived about 250 miles from the university and was not enrolled at UVU. Records and reporting show he was awarded a scholarship to Utah State University and attended one semester in 2021. Neighbors described him as quiet and not causing problems. Investigators said the suspect drives a gray Dodge Challenger similar to a vehicle seen arriving on campus earlier the day of the shooting; campus surveillance later appears to show the suspect arriving at about 11:52 a.m., ascending stairwells to a rooftop location and then fleeing over the roof and into a nearby neighborhood.
Law enforcement officials said they recovered what they believe was the weapon used in the attack — a "high-powered, bolt action rifle" — in a wooded area near the campus. Investigators also reported finding a series of bullet casings with inscriptions that they said indicated the shooter was steeped in internet culture. One fired casing allegedly referenced a meme tied to the online "furry" community, another reportedly read, "Hey, fascist! Catch!" and included a string of characters resembling a video-game cheat code. Other casings reportedly bore references to the antifascist song "Bella Ciao" and a homophobic taunt.
A friend of Robinson’s showed investigators a series of Discord messages that authorities say appeared to reference the logistics of the attack, including retrieving a rifle from a drop point, leaving a rifle wrapped in a towel, and changing clothes. The FBI’s Salt Lake City office also released surveillance photos earlier in the investigation of a person of interest wearing a black hat, dark glasses and a long-sleeve shirt bearing an American flag-like design.
Officials said the investigation included several false starts in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday’s shooting. The Utah Department of Public Safety briefly detained two other people it named as "suspects" before investigators determined they were not involved. FBI Director Kash Patel initially posted on social media that agents had captured the shooter on Wednesday afternoon, then walked back the claim hours later. At Friday’s news conference Patel offered a personal message to Kirk that referenced "Valhalla," drawing attention because Kirk was known for strong conservative Christian beliefs and the Norse afterlife is unrelated to that tradition.
Graphic video of the shooting spread widely on social media within hours of the attack, and Cox urged the public not to view such material. "This feels a lot like the late ’60s," Cox said, adding that the unfiltered, widely available footage of brutality is difficult for people to process and is "not good to consume." He condemned political violence and urged restraint as investigators continue to work the case.
The suspect’s arrest came nearly two days after the campus shooting that left Kirk dead. Trump had announced Kirk’s death in the immediate aftermath of the attack and on Friday reiterated praise for investigators while describing some details of how authorities obtained leads, saying he was told the suspect’s father and a religious leader helped turn the suspect in.
Authorities said the investigation remains active and that additional charges or federal involvement could follow as agents continue to process evidence, interview witnesses and review video and digital communications tied to the attack. Local and federal law enforcement officials have not released a full timeline of the shooting, and prosecutors must still file formal charges in court as the case moves forward.