Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Arrested After Confessing to Father
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, has been arrested for the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed while speaking at a campus event on Wednesday.
The suspect was taken into custody late Thursday after a 33-hour manhunt, following a tip from his father. According to authorities, Robinson confessed to his father and initially said he’d rather take his own life than surrender. His father, with the help of a youth pastor and court officer, convinced him to turn himself in. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals around 10 p.m.
President Donald Trump confirmed the arrest publicly and called for the death penalty.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said surveillance footage showed Robinson arriving at Utah Valley University (UVU)hours before the shooting. When arrested, he was wearing clothing matching what was seen on campus CCTV. Authorities later recovered the suspected murder weapon — a Mauser .30-06 bolt-action rifle, found wrapped in a towel near the campus.
The rifle had engraved shell casings with phrases including "Hey fascist! CATCH!" and "Bella ciao", referencing the anti-fascist Italian resistance song.
Robinson’s Discord messages also revealed references to retrieving the rifle from a “drop point.” A roommate provided these messages to investigators.
A family member told authorities that Robinson had grown increasingly political and expressed hostility toward Kirk in recent weeks. Voting records show Robinson is registered as nonpartisan, while his parents are registered Republicans. He didn’t vote in the last presidential election.
Robinson is a third-year student at Dixie Technical College and lived in St. George, about 250 miles from the shooting site. His father owns a cabinet business, and his mother is a social worker. The family is Mormon and active in their local church.
State prosecutors plan to file formal charges, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm, on Tuesday.
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