Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the shooting that killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, surrendered to law enforcement after investigators traced him to a location in Washington County, Sheriff Nate Brooksby said at a news conference Wednesday.
Brooksby said a former law enforcement colleague called at 8:02 p.m. Thursday to report that Robinson was the shooter and that he was in Washington County, with investigators working to secure a voluntary surrender. Robinson had reportedly contemplated suicide, but his parents persuaded him not to harm himself and to surrender. He asked for a peaceful, gentle surrender, and the sheriff said he agreed to that condition to obtain the voluntary surrender. Robinson was described as quiet and somber when taken into custody.
Brooksby said he did not question Robinson while waiting for lead investigators to arrive, and noted that the suspect's family and roommate should lay low for a long time, without elaborating. The sheriff also clarified that there is a Washington County Sheriff's deputy with the last name Robinson who is not related to the shooter, a distinction he asked the media to make clear amid online rumors.
A relative who spoke to Fox News Digital described the suspect's personal life, saying Robinson's transgender lover lived in a townhouse with him for about a year. The relative said that Robinson hates conservatives and Christians and had become detached and radicalized over the past year or two, becoming always very angry. The relative provided no independent corroboration of those statements.
Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice and a felony count of discharging a firearm causing serious bodily injury, as well as two counts of witness tampering and a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Authorities say the shooting occurred at Utah Valley University in Orem, where Kirk was hosting the first event of his The American Comeback tour. Kirk was pronounced dead shortly after the attack. A memorial at the hospital and on the UVU campus grew in the days after the shooting, with students and supporters leaving posters, flowers and flags.
The investigation remains active, and officials said more charges could be filed as more witnesses are interviewed and evidence is collected. Investigators have not disclosed a potential motive or the exact sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
The case has drawn national attention to campus safety and the handling of threats against public figures, underscoring the ongoing political rhetoric debates in US politics. Prosecutors indicated that additional charges and court dates will be announced as the case progresses.
