The FBI is investigating whether the man charged in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk had an accomplice after new video emerged showing a person on a doorbell camera speaking shortly after the gunfire, federal and local officials said.
University officials provided the footage to investigators, who are working to determine whether the individual captured on video is the 22-year-old suspect identified by authorities as Tyler Robinson. Federal officials have previously said they believed the shooting was carried out by a lone gunman, but agents have continued to sift new leads and evidence gathered during the manhunt.
Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday in southern Utah and faces charges that include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC News. Authorities at a Thursday news conference said the suspect could face the death penalty if convicted.
Investigators have released surveillance images showing a figure leaving the roof of a university building and sprinting into a nearby neighborhood shortly after the shooting at Utah Valley University in Orem. Officials said the shot that killed 31-year-old Kirk was fired from the roof of the Losee Center from about 200 yards away while Kirk was speaking at a campus event.
Law enforcement sources said footage turned over by the university included a clip of someone speaking into a doorbell camera in the vicinity of a residence; agents are probing whether the person on the video is the suspect or another individual. Authorities also evacuated the area around Robinson's family home after they received what they described as "concerning information" from the residence, and a police helicopter patrolled the neighborhood during the inquiry.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters investigators had learned from the suspect's family that he had become more political in recent years and had expressed dislike for Kirk's views. Cox said investigators found shell casings with engraved messages and symbols, which he described as anti-fascist references. At the same press briefing, Cox said a roommate had cooperated with investigators by providing messages from the social app Discord in which the suspect allegedly discussed handling a rifle and retrieving it from a drop point.
Officials have sought to limit unverified speculation. At an earlier point in the investigation, authorities briefly detained a person of interest who was later released, FBI Director Kash Patel said. The FBI had offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the shooter.
Robinson, who lives in Washington, Utah, was identified in reporting as a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George and had previously attended Utah State University for one semester on scholarship. Public records reviewed by reporters indicate he was not registered with a political party and did not vote in last November's presidential election. Social media images linked to his family show he was often photographed with firearms as a child and teenager.
Kirk, a prominent conservative speaker and activist, was answering a question about mass shootings at the event held on a public university campus when he was struck by a single bullet and collapsed. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The speaker's death prompted an immediate and wide-ranging law enforcement search that included reviewing surveillance footage, interviewing people in nearby neighborhoods and releasing images of a person seen fleeing the campus.
The shooting set off chaotic scenes at the event as attendees fled. Local officials and law enforcement agencies moved quickly to investigate and to notify the public when photos and video of the suspect were released. Authorities said the arrest of Robinson came after tips and investigative work over more than a day and a half.
President Donald Trump and other national figures issued statements mourning Kirk and acknowledging the arrest. Officials have instructed federal and local investigators to continue collecting and analyzing evidence, including the surveillance footage now under review, as they prepare for prosecution.
The investigation remains active, and federal and local authorities said they will release additional information as it is verified and appropriate to disclose.