OREM, Utah (AP) — The man accused in the Charlie Kirk assassination had earlier expressed to family his opposition to the viewpoints of the conservative activist, the authorities said Friday in announcing an arrest in a targeted killing that raised fresh alarms about political violence in the United States.
Tyler Robinson, 22, had become “more political” in the run-up to the shooting and had indicated to a family friend afterward that he was responsible, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. Cox also cited as key pieces of evidence engravings on bullets found in a rifle believed used in the attack as well as chatting app messages attributed to the shooting suspect that a roommate shared with law enforcement.
Robinson turned in by his father
A breakthrough came when a Robinson family member communicated to a family friend that Robinson had confessed or implied that he was responsible, information that was then shared with law enforcement.
Robinson’s father recognized him from the photos released by the FBI and told him to turn himself in. Robinson refused at first, but then changed his mind, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
His father reached out for help to their youth pastor, who also occasionally works with the U.S. Marshals and called the agency so he could turn himself in.
Family members of Robinson did not immediately return messages seeking comment. It was not clear if he had a lawyer. No criminal charges were immediately announced.
Authorities did not reveal a motive, but they did describe evidence that they said shed potential light on the slaying.
Among the evidence were engravings on bullet casings recovered from the high-powered rifle believed used in the attack, including one that said, “Hey, fascist! Catch!" Cox said.
In addition, a roommate shared with authorities messages from the chatting app Discord that involved a contact named Tyler and discussed a rifle wrapped in a towel, engraved bullets and a scope, the governor said.
The clothes the suspect wore when confronted by law enforcement late Thursday were consistent with what he had on when he arrived on campus a day earlier, Cox said.
Cox called Kirk's killing an “attack on the American experiment,” and he urged a new generation to “choose a different path.”
Robinson is believed to have acted alone, and the investigation is ongoing, Cox said.
Robinson's arrest early Friday morning was disclosed by President Donald Trump, who said in a Fox News Channel interview that, “With a high degree of certainty, we have him.”
Details of messages on bullet casings revealed
Bullet casings discovered by investigators had several inscriptions engraved on them, Cox said. The casing that had been fired read: “notices bulges OWO what’s this?”
1. Cox said there were three unfired casings:
2. One read, “hey fascist! catch!” with an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols.
3. Another one read: “oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao,” Cox said.
4. The third fired casing read: “if you read this you are __ .” (profanity deleted)
Vice President JD Vance says ‘We took a big step this morning in getting justice for Charlie’
Vance is thanking Utah officials and the FBI for their efforts to track down a suspect in Charlie Kirk’s killing.
“This is a big breakthrough, and everyone who helped — from the law enforcement professionals to the people giving tips — deserves our credit and gratitude,” he wrote on X.
“We took a big step this morning in getting justice for Charlie, and for his family,” he added. “Thanks be to God for that.”