A suspect has been arrested within the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, officers mentioned Friday morning. Utah Governor Spencer Cox mentioned the suspect had been recognized as Tyler Robinson, 22.
Cox mentioned Robinson resides in Southern Utah and confessed to his father. He mentioned Robinson’s father had acknowledged his son as the topic of pictures launched by legislation enforcement, and urged him to show himself in. Two legislation enforcement sources mentioned Robinson’s father reported his son to clergy, who took the tip to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday evening, FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned Friday.
Cox mentioned he believed Robinson acted alone, and that there isn’t a data right now “that would lead to any additional arrests.”
Cox thanked the relations of the suspected shooter, who he mentioned “did the right thing” in bringing him to legislation enforcement.
A mugshot of Tyler Robinson.
Utah Governor’s Workplace
President Donald Trump was the primary to announce the suspect was in custody throughout an look on “Fox and Friends” Friday morning.
Cox mentioned a member of the family informed investigators that Robinson had turn out to be extra political lately, and referenced an incident the place Robinson had come to dinner and talked about Kirk’s upcoming look.
Kirk shot whereas partaking in campus debate
Kirk, who was 31, was partaking in one in every of his signature “Prove Me Wrong” debates at Utah Valley College when he was shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon. The occasion was a part of Turning Level USA’s “The American Comeback Tour,” and there have been over 3,000 individuals in attendance when Kirk was shot, police mentioned.
Kirk’s subsequent occasion had been set for Utah State College. The college confirmed that Robinson had attended the college for one semester in 2021.
Kirk had simply begun to debate somebody within the viewers about gun violence when he was shot, witnesses mentioned. Only one shot was fired, Utah Division of Public Security Commissioner Beau Mason mentioned on Wednesday evening. Kirk was struck within the neck.
Particulars on proof emerge
After the taking pictures, the shooter jumped off the constructing and fled right into a neighborhood off campus, Mason mentioned. Pictures launched by legislation enforcement confirmed an individual carrying a darkish baseball cap, black glasses, a long-sleeved darkish shirt that appeared to characteristic an American flag and an eagle, and dark-colored pants.
The FBI requested for the general public’s assist in figuring out this particular person of curiosity in reference to the deadly taking pictures of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley College.
FBI
Investigators recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle that they consider was used within the assassination, Robert Bohls, the FBI particular agent answerable for the bureau’s Salt Lake Metropolis discipline workplace, mentioned Thursday. The gun was discovered wrapped in a darkish towel in a wooded space the place the shooter fled, Bohls mentioned.
Cox additionally mentioned investigators reviewed messages on the messaging platform Discord from an individual named “Tyler” that referenced a rifle wrapped in a towel that was left within the woods and engravings on bullets.
Cox mentioned that there have been inscriptions on the casings of the fired bullet and three unfired ones. The fired bullet casing contained the inscription, “Notices bulges OwO what’s this?” An unfired bullet casing learn, “Hey fascist, catch!” And a second unfired casing learn, “oh bella ciao, bella cio, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.” A 3rd unfired casing mentioned, “If you read this, you are gay.”
Cox declined to invest on the which means of the inscriptions.
“I will leave that up to you to interpret what those engravings mean,” Cox mentioned. He added that the “Hey fascist, catch!” inscription “speaks for itself.”
The arrest comes after two individuals have been briefly taken into custody, then launched, on Wednesday. Neither particular person had ties to the taking pictures, the Utah Division of Public Security mentioned on Wednesday evening. The second particular person taken into custody was charged with obstruction of justice, the division mentioned.
Kirk was an in depth ally of President Trump and a buddy of Donald Trump Jr.
The president, who ordered flags be flown at half-staff till Sunday night, introduced plans to honor Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.” He additionally launched a video assertion blaming the “radical left” for the killing. Politicians and figures on each side of the aisle have condemned Kirk’s killing.
Kirk is survived by his spouse Erika and their two younger youngsters. Vice President JD Vance accompanied Kirk’s casket because it was transported Thursday aboard Air Drive Two to Arizona, the place the household lives.
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