A 22-year-old man accused of fatally shooting conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University is not cooperating with investigators, Utah officials said, as President Donald Trump said people on the political left were under investigation in connection with the killing.
Tyler Robinson was arrested Friday after his father, Matt Robinson, told authorities his son had confessed to fatally shooting the 31-year-old influencer. Robinson is being held without bail in the Utah County Jail and placed in a special housing unit after allegedly saying he would kill himself rather than surrender to investigators, a jail spokesman said. Prosecutors are expected to file murder charges Tuesday.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told ABC News on Sunday that the suspect "has not confessed to authorities" and "is not cooperating, but all the people around him are cooperating." Cox said investigators were working to identify a motive and were reviewing a note Robinson allegedly left. He said the note and other materials would be "included in charging documents" once verified.
Cox said Robinson's family is conservative but that the suspect "appeared to have a different ideology" after dropping out of Utah State University. The governor told NBC's Meet the Press inspectors had found online activity the family described as "deep, dark Internet, Reddit culture and these other dark places on the Internet where this person was going deep." Cox described changes in behavior and referenced messages and other communications that authorities are examining.
Investigators have said Robinson told his father that he had shot Kirk in the neck at the university. Matt Robinson then contacted authorities and prevented his son from leaving until officers arrived, officials said. Police have said the bullets used in the shooting were engraved with phrases that investigators described as referencing transgender and antifascist ideology; officials later said the engravings included words and phrases such as "Hey fascist! CATCH!" and other messages. Authorities have not publicly identified a specific motive.
Robinson's roommate, identified by officials as Lance Twiggs, who is transgender, is cooperating with law enforcement, Cox said. Media reports quoted law enforcement sources saying Twiggs told agents he was surprised when Robinson was identified as the shooter and provided investigators with messages in which a sender listed as Tyler referred to wrapping a rifle in a towel and stashing it near the site of the shooting.
Jud Hoffman, vice president of trust and safety at the communications platform Discord, said there were communications between the suspect's roommate and a friend after the shooting in which the roommate recounted the contents of a note the suspect had left. Cox confirmed authorities were processing such materials for accuracy and verification.
President Trump, who has publicly blamed left-leaning political rhetoric for creating an atmosphere of hatred in the aftermath of Kirk's death, told reporters Sunday that "a lot of the people that you would traditionally say are on the left" were "already under major investigation." Trump said the problem was "on the left" and criticized agitators who he said speak poorly of the country.
Law enforcement and prosecutors have not tied any political organization to the shooting. Cox has said he intends to seek the death penalty in the case if charges are filed and proven. Robinson remains in custody as investigations continue into his background, online activity and the circumstances that led to the shooting.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative activist, died after the attack earlier in the week. Turning Point USA announced a large memorial service for supporters on Sunday, Sept. 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Trump has said he plans to attend the event after addressing the nation following the death.
Authorities have urged patience as they assemble evidence and prepare charging documents. Police and prosecutors said they would disclose more details as prosecutorial reviews and forensic examinations are completed and as the case moves toward formal charging and potential prosecution.