Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday while speaking an event at Utah Valley University.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on Wednesday as he addressed a large crowd at an outdoor debate. Officials described it as a “targeted attack”, and it drew condemnation from both sides of the political aisle as authorities launched a massive search for the suspect.
On Friday, officials announced they have a person in custody for the fatal shooting. They identified him as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who resides in southern Utah. Robinson was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, according to an inmate booking sheet from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is reviewing the evidence to determine the appropriate charges and plans to file them on Tuesday, Christopher Ballard, chief of staff for the Utah County Attorney’s Office, confirmed to CBS Saturday. Robinson could make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon, Ballard said.
Kirk, who co-founded the right-wing advocacy group Turning Point USA, was 31. He is survived by his wife, Erika, and two young children.
Turning Point USA announced Saturday that a public funeral for Kirk will be held on Sunday, Sept. 21, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Here is what we know so far about the assassination and ongoing investigation. Who is the suspect?
More details about Robinson and what happened before and after the attack are emerging.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Robinson is not a student at Utah Valley University, where the attack took place, and has been living with his family in Washington County, located in the southwestern corner of the state. Family members said Robinson had “become more political” in recent years, the governor said.
Utah State University said Robinson briefly attended the school for one semester in 2021. According to the Utah System of Higher Education, Robinson was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah.
Robinson’s father owns a business installing kitchen countertops and cabinets and his mother is a licensed social worker, according to public records and their social media accounts. Robinson is the oldest of three brothers.
“They are very supportive parents who loved their boys and are involved in the community”, a neighbor who said she knew the Robinson family well but had not seen Robinson in a few years told CBS News. She also said the parents were supportive of the country and of President Trump.
State records show that Robinson registered to vote as unaffiliated. He is listed as an inactive voter in state records, meaning he didn’t vote in the last two elections. He was not old enough to vote in 2020.
Robinson had no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions and no prior violent offenses, according to a Public Safety Assessment Report filed in Utah state court.
FBI Director Kash Patel said he was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time Thursday night, though Utah officials said it was in the early hours of Friday. Records from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division show he was booked into jail at 7:58 a.m. local time (9:58 a.m. ET).
Mr. Trump first broke the news on “Fox and Friends” that someone had been taken into custody.
“With a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody. Everyone did a great job”, the president said.
Cox said messages on Discord, an instant messaging and social media platform, that were reviewed by investigators referenced a rifle wrapped in a towel that was left in the woods and engravings on bullets. The messages came from a person named “Tyler” and were shared with an unidentified individual, Cox said.
In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson for Discord said it had removed an account associated with Robinson for violating the company’s “off-platform behavior policy”, which prohibits users from engaging in various forms of violence, and will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement. The spokesperson also said Discord “found no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence” on the platform itself.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and extend our condolences to the Kirk family and everyone affected”, the statement said. “The messages referenced in recent reporting about planning details do not appear to be Discord messages. These were communications between the suspect’s roommate and a friend after the shooting, where the roommate was recounting the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere.”
The governor said authorities believe Robinson acted alone and said there is currently no information that would lead to additional arrests.
