A 22-year-old Utah man was arrested in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event on a college campus, authorities said Friday.
“We got him,” Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters at a news conference announcing the arrest of Tyler Robinson in Wednesday's killing of Kirk at Utah Valley University. He was taken into custody Thursday night and is due in court early next week. Investigators believe he acted alone.
Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump. He led an effort to remake the GOP’s get-out-the-vote effort in the 2024 election based on the theory there were thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote but could be persuaded to do so.
His killing was the latest in a string of attacks on U.S. politicians that have targeted members of both major parties.
Here's what to know about Kirk's shooting:
Suspect is arrested
Cox, a Republican, said a family member of Robinson's reached out to a friend, who contacted authorities with information that Robinson had confessed or implied that he carried out the shooting. “I want to thank the family members of Tyler Robinson who did the right thing,” he said.
Robinson’s father recognized him from images released by authorities and encouraged him to turn himself in, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. He refused at first, but then changed his mind, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Robinson's father reached out for help to a youth pastor, who helped Robinson turn himself in, the official said.
The governor would not say if Robinson was cooperating with the investigation.
Robinson was being held Friday at the Utah County Jail. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice charges, according to a court affidavit. A judge ordered that he be held without bail.
Family members of Robinson didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment. It wasn't clear if he had a lawyer.
The Utah County attorney’s office said it expects to file formal charges by Tuesday, when Robinson is due to make an initial court appearance.
According to Cox, Robinson's family said he had become “more political in recent years” and had criticized Kirk, mentioning that he was due to appear at an upcoming event in Utah and saying “Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate."
A rifle hidden in a towel was recovered in a wooded area near the university campus. There was a spent cartridge in the chamber and three other rounds loaded in the magazine. Cox also said ammunition found at the scene was engraved with taunting, anti-fascist and meme culture messaging.
Who is Tyler James Robinson?
Details about Robinson began to emerge after news of his arrest broke.
He was admitted to Utah State University on a prestigious academic scholarship, according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter posted to a family member’s social media account. However, he attended for only one semester in 2021, a school spokesperson said.
After leaving Utah State, Robinson enrolled at Dixie Technical College, a small school in the southern Utah near his family's home in Washington, a city oof about 30,000 people that’s roughly 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of the Utah Valley campus, where the attack happened. At the time of his arrest, he was a third-year student in Dixie Tech's electrical apprenticeship program, which trains people to be electricians, lighting technicians or electrical repair specialists.
Robinson’s address is still listed as his parents' home, and he is registered as an unaffiliated voter, according to state records. He doesn't appear to have a prior criminal record.
There was a heavy police presence outside of the Robinson family’s house on Friday as media arrived. Window coverings were drawn, and a pickup truck was parked in front of the home, blocking access to the driveway.
Back in Orem, a heavy law enforcement presence remained on the Utah Valley campus Friday, but there was a marked shift in mood after Robinson's arrest was announced, as residents who had been afraid to leave their homes began venturing out.
“I feel like there’s been this like really heavy, dark weight pressed over my heart and soul for the last two days, and waking up to the news of the shooter being captured today, it is a great thing,” he said. “It’s pure relief.”
Politicians condemn the attack
Kirk’s assassination is “an attack on the American experiment” and values, and “cuts to the very foundation of who we are," Cox said in an impassioned plea for Americans to use Kirk's death as an inflection point to turn the country away from political violence and division.
“This is our moment: Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp?” Cox asked, pleading with young people to bridge differences through common ground rather than violence. “It’s a choice.”
Republicans and Democrats alike were swift to condemn Kirk's killing.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”
Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation. The president, who sustained a minor ear injury when he was shot at a campaign event last year, said he and Kirk had a close relationship.
“He wanted to help young people, and he didn’t deserve this,” Trump said Friday.
Kirk’s rise from Trump aide to major conservative influencer
Kirk was 18 years old when he co-founded Turning Point in suburban Chicago in 2012 with William Montgomery, a tea party activist. They aimed to take their ideas for low taxes and limited government to college campuses.
Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination for president in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to the then-candidate's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., during the general election campaign.
Kirk also was known for provocative statements on race that he used to court Gen Z voters.
“I’m sorry. If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified,'” Kirk said during a 2024 podcast with fellow conservative activist Jack Posobiec.
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Associated Press reporter Lindsay Whitehurst contributed.
