Utah authorities said Friday that the suspect arrested in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk had engraved bullet casings with political and internet-themed messages, and had been turning increasingly political in recent months.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody Thursday night after being turned in by a family member, Gov. Spencer Cox said at a Friday morning news conference. Robinson was arrested in the wake of a manhunt that lasted more than a day and a half following the Wednesday afternoon attack at Utah Valley University in Orem, where Kirk was speaking as part of his "American Comeback Tour."
Authorities say Kirk was struck once in the neck while answering a question about mass shootings during a debate with a student and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. He is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. Surveillance footage released by investigators showed a figure on a rooftop leaping from a building and running into a nearby neighborhood after the shot was fired from roughly 200 yards away, officials said.
At the press conference, Cox said investigators recovered bullet casings from the rifle used in the attack that were engraved with several messages. He described many of the inscriptions as references to internet memes and anti-fascist slogans. One casing reportedly read, "Oh, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao," a line from an Italian World War II anti-fascist song. Another read, "Hey Fascists, Catch!" and included arrow symbols that Cox said referenced a stratagem code from the video game Helldivers 2. Additional engravings reportedly included the meme phrase "Notices bulge OwO what's this?" and "If You Read This You Are Gay LMAO," Cox said.
Cox told reporters that Robinson's family members had observed a change in his political intensity in recent times and that he had told relatives he disliked Kirk, describing the commentator to family members as "full of hate." Cox also said Robinson's roommate assisted investigators by providing screenshots of conversations on the messaging platform Discord in which the suspect allegedly discussed retrieving a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush and making reference to engraved bullets and a scope.
Officials said photos obtained from Robinson's mother's social media account showed him in a Donald Trump Halloween costume in 2017 and at times posing with firearms during childhood. Those images were described by investigators but have not been independently authenticated by news organizations.
The arrest followed several days of intense law enforcement activity. Authorities released images of a person of interest seen wearing a black T-shirt with a bald eagle flying across an American flag, and at one point a different individual was briefly detained and later released after questioning, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Local and federal officials had offered a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the suspect's capture.
President Donald Trump, who had led tributes to Kirk on social media, said on Fox News that "someone very close" to the suspect had turned him in. Trump later ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff through Sunday evening in honor of Kirk and posted a message on his social platform calling Kirk "Great, and even Legendary." Government officials have not said whether any federal hate-crime or other enhanced charges are being pursued in addition to local charges related to the shooting.
Investigators have identified a rooftop location they believe was used as the sniper's nest and have been reviewing surveillance and witness accounts to track the suspect's movements before and after the shooting. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, continue to work the case alongside local police in Utah County, and authorities said the investigation remains active.
Robinson faces criminal proceedings following the arrest, and prosecutors have said charges will be filed as the investigation progresses. Officials asked the public to avoid speculation and to provide tips to investigators. No motive beyond the details disclosed by law enforcement has been confirmed, and authorities said they will release additional information as it becomes available.