Authorities identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on Friday as the person accused of fatally shooting conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday.
Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice, according to a probable-cause affidavit, and officials said he faces the death penalty if convicted. Authorities, including FBI Director Kash Patel, named Robinson amid a manhunt that concluded with his arrest in southern Utah late Thursday.
Investigators said the fatal shot was fired from a rooftop about 200 yards away, using a Mauser 98 bolt-action rifle. Surveillance footage released during the search showed a figure leaping from a roof and sprinting into a nearby neighborhood after the gunfire. Authorities said casings recovered at the scene bore several engraved messages, including references to the World War II Italian anti-fascist song "Bella Ciao," the phrase "Hey Fascists, Catch!" and other inscriptions.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, speaking at a Friday news conference, opened his remarks by saying, "We got him." Cox called the assassination a "watershed moment" in American history and added, "The question is, what kind of watershed?" He said investigators learned from Robinson's family that the suspect had become more political recently and had described Kirk to family members as "full of hate."
Law enforcement sources told reporters that Robinson was taken into custody in southern Utah late Thursday. Robinson lives in a six-bedroom home in Washington, Utah, about 260 miles south of Orem, which officials said is valued at about $600,000. Sources also said Robinson told his father he would rather kill himself than be captured; the father then persuaded him to speak to a local youth minister who coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service.
Officials said a roommate provided evidence to investigators, showing messages on the Discord platform in which the alleged shooter discussed retrieving a rifle from a drop point, concealing it, and referenced engraved bullets and a scope. Authorities described shoes worn by Robinson in some family photographs as matching footwear seen on surveillance images of the person of interest during the manhunt.
Social media images obtained by news outlets and reviewed by investigators depict Robinson in firearms-related settings from childhood into his teens and early adulthood. In one image he appears to pose with an M2 Browning .50-caliber machine gun; other family photos show shooting-range outings and, in 2017, a "build it yourself" rifle kit among Christmas gifts. Posts from that year also show Robinson in a Donald Trump Halloween costume. Online records indicate his parents are registered Republicans and that his mother works for a company contracted by the state of Utah to support disabled residents. Robinson attended Utah State University on a scholarship but was enrolled for only one semester in 2021, according to people familiar with his academic record.
Kirk, a conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while answering a question about mass shootings and collapsed while speaking to a crowd on the public university campus. He was struck by a single bullet and rushed to a hospital, where he later died. Kirk, 33, is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. The couple had marked their fourth wedding anniversary in May. President Donald Trump posted a tribute on Truth Social, calling Kirk "great, and even legendary," and extending sympathies to his family.
Federal and local investigators said the probe remains active as they work to confirm a motive and examine the suspect's communications, travel and weapon procurement. Authorities have urged the public to allow the investigative process to proceed and said further details will be released as they are verified.