Who is Tyler Robinson, 22-year-old from Utah, who killed Charlie Kirk?

Authorities the US say they have a suspect in custody in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

FBI officials at a press conference on Thursday said Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, has been identified as the suspect in the killing of Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative and staunch ally of US President Donald Trump.

Authorities had earlier released images and videos of the suspect. The photos showed the individual wearing a hat, sunglasses, in a long-sleeve black shirt and carrying a backpack. Utah Governor Spencer Cox, kicking off the press conference, said, “We got him.”

Trump earlier Thursday in an interview with Fox News he thought they had the suspect in custody ‘with a high degree of certainty’. Trump said a family member convinced Robinson to turn himself in.

Let’s take a closer look at what we know about Robinson, the suspect in custody

What we know

Robinson lives in south Utah. He apparently confessed or implied in his involvement in the killing to his father . It was Robinson’s father who urged him to go to the police, even getting a youth pastor involved to help him. It is the pastor who called the US Marshals, who then took Robinson into custody.

There are reports that the Robinson family hails from Utah’s Cedar City – which is around three hours from Utah Valley University where the assassination occurred.

A Facebook seemingly belonging to Robinson’s mother detail visits to gun ranges. Robinson is believed to have attended Pine View Middle School. In 2022, he shifted to the city of Logan to go to Utah State University - which is around two hours away from Utah Valley University. Authorities earlier said the suspect was ‘college age’.

“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.

Cox said a family member told investigators Robinson had become more political in recent years and that he spoke negatively about Kirk.

“In the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned  Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,” Cox said. Robinson during the dinner claimed “Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”

Cox thanked the public and police for “helping us get to this point". He also paid tribute to the family members of Robinson who “did the right thing".

“I especially want to thank the family of Charlie Kirk, " Cox added. “I want us to be thinking of them as we bring justice to this case.”
Cox said some of the inscriptions on the bullet casings read “Hey fascist! Catch!”, “o bella ciao, bella ciao” and “if you read this you are gay lmao”.

Cox said Robinson’s roommate showed authorities Discord messages in which Robinson spoke of getting a rifle.

The roommate “allowed investigators to take photos of the screen as each message was shown by Robinson’s mate,” Cox said.
“The content of these included messages affiliated with the contact Tyler, stating a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel,” Cox said.

“The messages also refer to engraving bullets and a mention of a scope, and the rifle being unique. Messages from the contact Tyler also mentioned that he had changed outfits,” Cox added.

‘Attack on all of us’

“I have been as angry as I have ever been, as sad as I have ever been,” Cox said. “As anger pushed me to the brink, Charlie’s words
brought me back.”

He said that young people “loved and hated Charlie” and he “went into those places anyway”.

“You are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage is the only option. “Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture that is very different than what we’re suffering through right now. Not by pretending differences don’t matter, but by embracing our differences.”

“There is one person responsible for what happened here and that person is now in custody and will be charged soon and will be held accountable.”

He said this murder was “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,” he says, adding it “cuts to the very foundation of who we are”. Cox said the development makes it “more difficult for people to feel like they can share their ideas” and speak freely.

“We will never be able to solve all the other problems - including the violence problems that people are worried about - if we can’t have a clash of ideas safely and securely. Even - especially, especially, those ideas with which you disagree,” he added.

Cox urged the public not to watch vidoes of Kirk being killed on social media.

“This is not good for us. It is not good to consume,” said Cox. “Social media is a cancer on our society right now.”

Cox said  “we are not wired as human beings” to process hatred and violence to which people are constantly being exposed online. “I would encourage people to log off, turn off, touch grass, hug a family member, go out and do good in your community,” he said.

FBI Kash Patel, addressing the presser, said he is proud to be standing here and delivering justice for Kirk’s family. He thanked Kirk’s parents, widow and children, all of whom will be involved in bringing Kirk justice, he added.

Patel said the probe was “large” but has been “processed quickly” and he was able “to walk through the steps the suspect took”. “The arrest is a testament to the dedication of good law enforcement being great,” Patel added.

Patel also thanked President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who he said “had our backs the entire way.” “I just want to express my gratitude for giving us the resources we need to operate in this space to bring this sort of justice at this sort of speed. In 33 hours, we have made historic progress for Charlie,” he said

“To my friend, Charlie Kirk: Rest now, brother. We have the watch. And I’ll see you in Valhalla,” Patel concluded.

Sheriff Mike Smith, addressing the media next, said it was a “vast, complicated and very, very fast-paced investigation”.
He said it was “very taxing" and thanked the public for their level of cooperation.

Kirk, a conservative political activist, was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (September 10). He was addressing a large outdoor crowd while sitting under a tent when he was shot in the neck.

‘Like a son’

Speaking to Fox News today (September 12), Trump said Kirk was “talented” and likened him to “a son”. He also called for a speedy trial and expressed hope that the shooter would get the death penalty.

“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. Getting somebody that you start off with absolutely nothing,” Trump said.

Four sources had earlier confirmed to CNN that a suspect was in custody and being questioned.

Trump said “someone very close” to the suspect turned him in. He indicated a minister was involved who got the suspect’s father to turn his son in.

“The person was involved with law enforcement but was a person of faith, a minister, and brought him to a US Marshal who was fantastic. They drove into the police headquarters and he’s there now,” the US president said.

Trump said the suspect was “28 or 29”. He described the video of the shooting as “horrific”.

The president said he had not seen the video of Kirk being shot, telling Fox News, “I didn’t want to remember Charlie that way.”

With inputs from agencies