Trump, officials announce arrest of suspected Kirk assassin, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah

Two hours after President Donald Trump confirmed on Fox News the suspected shooter in Wednesday’s assassination of Charlie Kirk was in custody, state and federal officials announced the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah.

“We got him,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced at a morning conference on Friday. “On the evening of September 11, a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident.”

Cox said Robinson was not a student at Utah Valley University in Orem, where the shooting took place, and the suspect resided with his family in Washington County. Robinson was arrested early Friday morning and is being held without bail at a Utah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice.

Cox said Robinson became more political in the lead-up to the shooting, and the suspect had discussed with family members his disgust of Kirk’s views. The governor shared specific details of what had been previously described as bullet casings engraved with leftist “transgender and anti-fascist ideology”:

• Fired casing: “Notices bulges OWO, what’s this”? – a likely genital reference mocking Kirk’s views on transgenderism;
• Unfired casing: “Hey Fascists! Catch!” Up arrow, right arrow symbol and three down arrows – anti-fascist messaging and symbol;
• Unfired casing: “O Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao” – an Italian anti-Nazi song;
• Unfired casing: “If you read this, you are gay lmao.”

“With a high degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump had told the Fox & Friends morning show earlier. The president had also said someone close to the shooter, possibly his father, and a minister helped lead authorities to his arrest.

Sources later confirmed to the AP that Robinson’s father recognized him from images of the suspect, encouraged his son to turn himself in, and sought a youth pastor’s help in the process.

Cox thanked Robinson’s family “who did the right thing in this case and were able to bring him into law enforcement.” The governor also said authorities believe the suspect acted alone.

FBI Director Kash Patel thanked Gov. Cox for a successful, historically fast federal-state effort in the investigation.

“This is what happens when you let good cops, because the FBI and our partners are proud to stand here today together to bring justice to the family of Charlie Kirk and honor his memory,” Patel said. “I want to express my deep gratitude to President Trump, the Vice President and the entire White House, who have been so incredibly supportive with both resources and just personally, to the FBI as a team they had our backs the entire way. …

“Lastly, to my friend, Charlie Kirk, rest now, brother, we have the watch, and I’ll see you in Valhalla.”

The governor returned to the podium and shared some more personal reflections on political violence, feeling the country faces an important tipping point. He implored those feeling angry and tempted to be violent to find an “offramp.”

“This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk,” Cox said, soberly. “But it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. …

“In the very act that Charlie championed of expression, that freedom of expression that is enshrined in our founding documents, in having his life taken in that very act makes it more difficult for people to feel like they can share their ideas, that they can speak freely.”

Cox admitted he had never felt so angry and sad as in the last 48 hours. But he said the words of Charlie Kirk brought him back from “the brink.”

“Charlie said, ‘When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence,'” the governor recalled. “He said, ‘The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive, welcome without judgment, love without condition, forgive without limit.’

“He said, ‘Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so much.’

“A few months ago … Charlie posted to social media, ‘When things are moving very fast and people are losing their minds, it’s important to stay grounded. Turn off your phone, read scripture, spend time with friends and remember internet fury is not real life. It’s going to be okay.'”