Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Sunday that the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk is not cooperating with law enforcement, though family members and acquaintances have provided information to investigators.
"He has not confessed to authorities. He is not cooperating, but all the people around him are cooperating," Cox told ABC's This Week. Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at a campus event in Orem, Utah; authorities arrested 20-year-old Tyler Robinson on Thursday after a family member contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office with information that Robinson had implied or confessed to committing the shooting.
Cox addressed reporting in The New York Times about messages attributed to the accused shooter on the chat platform Discord, saying investigators have confirmed the conversations took place. "They did not believe it was actually him. It was, it was all joking, until he… admitted that it actually was him," Cox said on ABC.
In remarks to the Wall Street Journal published Friday, Cox characterized the suspect as "deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology," a claim that prompted questioning from Raddatz on This Week about the evidence supporting that assessment. Cox said the information largely came from the suspect's acquaintances and family members who have spoken to authorities.
Cox told NBC News on Sunday that Robinson appeared to grow more politically radical after dropping out of Utah State University. He said friends and family reported extensive online activity, including gaming and participation in "deep, dark internet" spaces such as certain subreddits and other online forums. Cox also pointed to markings on shell casings from the scene that he described as reflecting the "memeification" of violence in online culture.
A memorial for Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk was displayed at Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 13, 2025. Turning Point, a conservative nonprofit organization founded by Kirk, announced plans for a service following his killing.
Law enforcement agencies have said the investigation remains active. Cox emphasized that while the suspect himself has not been cooperative, the cooperation of family members and acquaintances has provided crucial leads. Authorities did not detail the contents of those leads or the specific evidence tying Robinson to the shooting beyond the family member's report that prompted the arrest.
Cox urged unity and individual responsibility in public remarks following the killing, calling the moment "dark" but saying communities and individuals have a choice about how to respond. "Can we do good in our neighborhood? Can we hug a family member? Can we talk to a neighbor we disagree with? That’s up to us," he said, adding that personal agency and small acts of compassion are the only path out of the current national mood.
Investigators have not released additional details about potential motives or a timeline of Robinson's alleged radicalization beyond information provided by those close to him. Local and federal agencies have jurisdiction over different aspects of the probe; prosecutors have not announced whether federal charges will be filed. Public officials in Utah have called for calm as the investigation continues and as the community prepares for memorial events for Kirk.
