UTAH, United States — A 22-year-old Utah man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed while on stage at a university event earlier this week. Tyler Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday night, bringing an end to a 33-hour manhunt after his father helped persuade him to surrender to police.
The arrest was first announced by US President Donald Trump, who publicly called for the suspect to face the death penalty. The killing of Kirk, who was shot while debating students on Wednesday, has deeply shocked Americans and laid bare the country’s sharp partisan divisions.
Investigators revealed at a news conference on Friday that Robinson had confessed to his father, stating he would rather take his own life than surrender. The father then contacted a family friend who is a youth pastor and a court security officer.
Police stated that both men worked to calm Robinson down before the pastor alerted US Marshals, who subsequently detained the suspect at around 10:00 p.m. local time on Thursday.
According to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, surveillance images showed Robinson arriving on the campus of Utah Valley University approximately four hours before the shooting. When he was taken into custody, Robinson was wearing clothing similar to that seen on the CCTV cameras at the crime scene.
Governor Cox added that investigators had interviewed a family member who said the suspect had become more political in recent years. This family member recounted a recent incident where Robinson had mentioned Kirk was coming to Utah and that he “was full of hate and spreading hate.”
Additionally, investigators spoke with a roommate who showed them messages from an account named “Tyler” on the messaging app Discord, which referred to retrieving a rifle from “a drop point.”
The FBI had previously located the suspected weapon—an imported Mauser .30-06 bolt action rifle—wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus. According to Governor Cox, investigators found inscriptions on casings recovered with the rifle, which had a scope mounted on it.
The inscriptions included “hey fascist! CATCH!” and “O Bella ciao, Bella ciao.” “Bella ciao,” which means “goodbye beautiful” in Italian, is also the title of a song associated with the Italian resistance that fought against Nazi occupation. Governor Cox stated that he was not aware of any potential further arrests in the ongoing investigation.
State prosecutors have announced plans to file formal charges against Robinson on Tuesday. According to a Utah County Sheriff inmate booking sheet obtained by Vivid Voice News, he is accused of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm.
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Students at Utah Valley University expressed a sense of relief upon hearing of the arrest. The campus had been closed since the shooting on Wednesday afternoon, with police vehicles and yellow tape blocking off large sections of the school.
“He was apprehended in Washington County, which is where I’m from,” said first-year student McKinley Shinkle. “I just feel deeply ashamed.” McKinley’s cousin, Anthony, also shared his relief, adding, “I’m definitely relieved. I’m just anxious now to hear his motives and why this happened.”
Public records reviewed by Vivid Voice News indicate that Robinson had previously registered as an unaffiliated voter in Utah. His parents, Matthew Carl Robinson and Amber Denise Robinson, are registered Republicans. Voting records show that he was not old enough to vote in the 2020 presidential election.
The suspect is a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah, where he resided. Social media accounts suggest his father runs a kitchen countertop and cabinet installation business, while his mother is a social worker. The family is also noted to be Mormon and active in their local church.
