SALT LAKE CITY (BN24) — A 22-year-old Utah man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, ending a massive manhunt that mobilized state and federal law enforcement agencies across the region, officials announced Friday.
Tyler Robinson, a Utah native from St. George, was identified as the person who shot and killed Kirk on Wednesday at Utah Valley University, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said during a press conference. Robinson has been booked into the Utah County Jail on charges including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we got him,” Cox declared at the Friday press conference, praising the investigation that led to Robinson’s capture within 33 hours of the shooting.
The arrest came after a family friend contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Thursday night, reporting that Robinson had confessed or implied that he had killed Kirk. The breakthrough in the case occurred when Robinson’s father identified his son from photographs distributed by authorities and convinced him to surrender.
Robinson’s father contacted a youth pastor who also serves as a U.S. Marshals task force officer. The task force officer advised the father to have his son remain in place, and U.S. Marshals took Robinson into custody before contacting the FBI, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who revealed that the suspect had “become more political in recent years.” In a recent incident detailed to investigators, Robinson attended a family dinner where he mentioned that Kirk was coming to Utah Valley University. During the conversation with another family member, they discussed their dislike of Kirk and his political viewpoints.
President Donald Trump confirmed the arrest during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Friday morning, stating he had been informed just minutes before the interview that the suspect was in custody. Trump praised the father’s role in the arrest, saying “somebody that was very close to him turned him in.”
The shooting occurred at approximately 12:20 p.m. Wednesday when Kirk was struck by a single shot while speaking at an outdoor event on the Orem campus. According to Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason, the suspect arrived on campus at 11:52 a.m., traveled through stairwells to reach the roof of a building near the event, then fired down at Kirk before fleeing the scene.
Surveillance footage showed the gunman climbing down from the roof of the Losee Center building and jumping to the grass below before fleeing off-campus into a nearby neighborhood. Kirk was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
FBI Director Kash Patel praised the pace of the investigation, calling the 33-hour timeline for apprehending the suspect “historic progress.” The FBI received more than 11,000 leads during the manhunt, all of which will be investigated, Patel said.
Forensic evidence continues to be processed at FBI laboratories in Quantico. Among the evidence recovered was a high-powered bolt-action rifle found in a wooded area near the shooting location. The weapon, identified as an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle with a mounted scope, was wrapped in a dark-colored towel.
Investigators also recovered several bullet cartridges containing written messages. One cartridge bore the message “Hey fascist! CATCH!” which Cox said “speaks for itself,” while another contained Italian lyrics to the song “Bella, ciao,” and a third read “If you read this, you are GAY Lmao.”
Law enforcement officials described some of the cartridge markings as containing “transgender and anti-fascist” writing, though authorities are still working to determine the meaning or whether the markings were intended as misdirection for investigators.
Robinson was not a student at Utah Valley University but had been living with his family in St. George, located in southern Washington County approximately four hours from the Orem campus where the shooting occurred. A spokesperson from Utah Valley University confirmed that Robinson is a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George.
Educational records show Robinson attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021 and earned college credits through Utah Tech University while in high school from 2019 to 2021.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray plans to file formal charges against Robinson on Tuesday, according to a statement from his office. The charges are expected to include aggravated murder, obstruction of justice for allegedly moving and hiding the weapon, and felony discharge of a firearm causing bodily injury.
Cox emphasized that officials do not anticipate making additional arrests at this time and could not comment on whether the suspect is cooperating with law enforcement. The FBI had offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person responsible for Kirk’s murder.
During the press conference, Cox addressed the broader implications of political violence, describing the assassination as “an attack on all of us.” He urged young people to build a “culture that is very different than what we are suffering through right now.”
“To my young friends out there, you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option. But through those words, we have a reminder that we can choose a different path,” Cox said.
Trump reiterated during his television interview that the shooter should face the death penalty, noting that Utah maintains capital punishment and praising Cox as “a good governor” who is “intent on the death penalty in this case.”
The shooting represents one of the most high-profile acts of political violence in recent years, targeting a prominent conservative activist known for his campus speaking engagements and political commentary. Kirk’s assassination has sparked renewed concerns about the escalation of political tensions and violence in American society.
FBI Director Patel concluded his remarks with a message directed at the victim: “Rest now, brother. We have the watch.”
