Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old resident of Washington County, Utah, has been identified as the shooter who killed Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday around 12:20 p.m. MT.
Robinson was taken into custody after a family member, believed to be his father, reported him to authorities.
At a press conference held around 8 a.m. local time Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox explained that a family member of Robinson stated he “had become more political in recent years” and provided an example from a family dinner prior to the shooting.
“In a conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU,” Cox recounted. “They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had.”
Investigators also interviewed Robinson’s roommate, who guided authorities to messages the alleged shooter made on Discord.
The messages referenced retrieving and leaving a rifle, as well as engraving bullets.
Cox read out various engravings found on the bullet casings, including one that said “Hey fascist! Catch!” with Cox noting that “catch” was as in catching a ball.
Another unfired casing had the phrase “Bella Ciao,” which is likely a reference to an Italian ballad known for its anti-fascist anthem. A separate engraving on a bullet casing featured Furry sexual memes, such as “Notices, bulges, OWO, what’s this?”
Cox stated that “the investigation is ongoing,” but officials generally believe Robinson acted alone, and no further arrests are expected.
In a related development, President Donald Trump announced that a man believed to be the shooter responsible for killing Christian conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a TPUSA college event in Utah has been arrested.
During an interview on Fox News Friday morning, Trump said, “I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him — in custody ... everyone did a great job. We worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job.”
He expressed hope that the suspect “is going to be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty. What he did, Charlie Kirk, was the finest person, but he didn’t deserve this. He worked so hard and so well. Everybody liked him. I’ve been watching, even the Left is having a hard time,” the president added.
Kirk, an influential conservative activist, was 31 years old and was speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday when a gunman fatally shot him in the neck at 12:20 p.m. Mountain time.
