By Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer, Jesse Bedayn and Hannah Schoenbaum
Associated Press
OREM, Utah — The suspect accused in the Charlie Kirk assasination 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 afterwards that he was responsible, said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. He 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 accused shooter that a roommate shared with law enforcement after the shooting.
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Cox, a Republican, 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 late Thursday was disclosed by President Donald Trump on Friday, who said in a Fox News Channel interview that, “With a high degree of certainty, we have him.”
Trump said a minister also involved with law enforcement turned Robinson in to the authorities.
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Kirk was killed by a single shot Wednesday in what police said was a targeted attack and Utah’s governor called a political assassination. Kirk co-founded the nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA and was a close ally of Trump.
Authorities recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle near the scene and had said the shooter jumped off a roof and vanished into the woods after the shooting.
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point at Utah Valley University at the time of the shooting. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead hours later.
Federal investigators and state officials on Thursday had released photos and a video of the person they believe is responsible. Kirk was shot as he spoke to a crowd gathered in a courtyard at Utah Valley University in Orem.
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More than 7,000 leads and tips had poured in, officials said. Authorities have yet to publicly name the suspect or cite a motive in the killing.
The attack, carried out in broad daylight as Kirk spoke about social issues, was captured on grisly videos that spread on social media.
The videos show Kirk, who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, speaking into a handheld microphone when suddenly a shot rings out. Kirk reaches up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.
The shooter, who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a college-age appearance, fired one shot from the rooftop, according to authorities. Video released Thursday showed the person then walking through the grass and across the street before disappearing.
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“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City.
Trump, who was joined by Democrats in condemning the violence, said he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, visited with Kirk’s family Thursday in Salt Lake City. Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Vance’s Senate run and the 2024 election.
“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene,” Vance wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”
Kirk’s casket was flown aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Phoenix, where his nonprofit political youth organization, Turning Point USA, is based. Trump told reporters he plans to attend Kirk’s funeral. Details have not been announced.
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This article, originally published at 8:45 a.m. ET on Sept. 12 has been updated to reflect additional information about the suspect.
Tucker and Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Denver; Michael Biesecker, Brian Slodysko, Lindsay Whitehurst and Michelle L. Price in Washington; Ty O’Neil in Orem, Utah; Hallie Golden in Seattle; and Meg Kinnard in Chapin, S.C., contributed to this report.
