Everything We Know About Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson

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The man accused of assassinating right-wing personality Charlie Kirk has been arrested and identified as Tyler Robinson.

On Friday, President Donald Trump first confirmed the news, appearing on Fox and Friends and saying that, “I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” telling the outlet he found out the news shortly before going live on the show. Per Trump, “somebody who was very close to him turned him in,” while TMZ reports Robinson was partly turned in by a youth pastor.

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According to their reporting, Tyler had allegedly confessed to the murder to his father, who urged his son to turn himself in. TMZ’s sources said Tyler initially refused, but then eventually changed his mind … before the father then contacted the youth pastor, who then called authorities.

Robinson was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time on Thursday.

Robinson is a 22-year-old from Utah. Per social media posts by his family, his mother posted in August 2022 that Robinson had a 4.0 GPA in high school. She also shared a video showing he received a $32,000 national scholarship to Utah State University … while a photo from Halloween 2017 showed him wearing a costume in which he appeared to be sitting on Donald Trump’s shoulders, standing next to someone else holding a toy rifle.

According to Utah voting records, Robinson is listed as neither a Democrat nor a Republican … he’s listed as “unaffiliated.” Per records, both his parents are registered Republicans; both parents also held hunting licenses, though his mother’s has reportedly lapsed.

“We got him,” said Gov. Spencer Cox during a presser on Friday, saying Robinson’s family members noted he had “become more political” recently. Per Cox, he spoke with his family about Kirk’s UVU visit, with the family member saying “they talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had.” Per Cox, “the family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”

Cox also said messages between Robinson and his roommate over Discord referenced a rifle pickup and drop-off, as well as having “had changed outfits” following the shooting. One message allegedly said the rifle would be wrapped in a towel and left in a bush, similar to how the weapon was recovered. Per Cox, he was not a student at UVU.

Robinson’s vehicle, a gray Dodge Challenger, was also tracked from the campus to his home.

The governor also revealed what was allegedly written on the bullets recovered, which read, “*notices bulge* OWO what’s this?”, “Hey fascist! catch!”, lyrics to the Italian, World War II anti-fascist, anti-Nazi song “Bella ciao” and “if you read this, you are gay lmao.” Of the engravings, Cox simply said the “Hey fascist! Catch!” one “speaks for itself.”

Despite the messages with the roommate, Cox said they believe, for now, Robinson acted alone.

“I hope he’s going to be found guilty, and I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump said during his appearance on persons on Friday. “What he did — Charlie Kirk was the finest person and he didn’t deserve this.”

Kirk had been speaking at a student Q&A at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday, September 10, when he was shot and killed by a sniper from the roof of a nearby building. He was 31. Following the news of his passing, celebrities and politicians from across the political spectrum took to social media to react. See the widespread response, here.

Authorities later recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle near the scene in a wooded area. A “footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints” were also collected for analysis. Photos and videos have also been released showing the suspect jumping off a roof and fleeing the area after the shooting — while TMZ obtained footage of the suspected shooter walking toward the school with a limp, perhaps hiding the gun in his pant leg, ahead of the incident.

The latest arrest comes after two other people were taken in as persons of interest, but released.