Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Identified as 22-Year-Old Utah Man

The manhunt for nan shooter who killed conservative activistic Charlie Kirk ended Friday pinch a fishy taken into custody, authorities said.

Utah’s Department of Public Safety and nan FBI confirmed nan apprehension during a greeting briefing, capping a two-day hunt that began aft nan 31-year-old podcaster and Turning Point USA cofounder was fatally changeable astatine Utah Valley University connected Wednesday.

Authorities identified nan fishy arsenic 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Washington, Utah, aft receiving a extremity from a friend of Robinson’s family. Officials said nan extremity came precocious Thursday night, prompting agents to move quickly to find and apprehension him. A $100,000 reward for accusation starring to nan recognition and apprehension of nan shooter was announced Thursday.

President Donald Trump first announced nan apprehension successful a unrecorded question and reply connected Fox News, claiming, “With a precocious grade of certainty, we person him.”

At a property briefing Friday, Utah politician Spencer Cox announced Robinson had been arrested successful nan early hours of September 12 aft a family personnel reached retired to a family friend, who contacted authorities. The friend told investigators that Robinson had hinted astatine his engagement successful nan shooting. The extremity was relayed done section rule enforcement to nan FBI and Utah region investigators, who matched Robinson’s grey Dodge Challenger and clothing to field surveillance footage from nan time of nan shooting. A family personnel besides told investigators that Robinson said critically of Kirk.

Cox said Robinson’s roommate besides cooperated, showing investigators Discord messages successful which Robinson discussed retrieving and hiding a rifle, leaving it wrapped successful a towel, monitoring nan driblet site, and engraving bullets.

FBI head Kash Patel outlined nan bureau’s domiciled successful nan investigation, stressing nan velocity of nan consequence and coordination pinch Utah authorities. He said agents arrived connected segment wrong 16 minutes of nan shooting, secured nan area alongside section police, and quickly began moving grounds to FBI labs successful Quantico for analysis. “The FBI and our partners are proud to guidelines present coming together to bring justness to nan family of Charlie Kirk and grant his memory,” he said.

Patel closed his remarks pinch a little eulogy for Kirk, saying, “We’ll spot you successful Valhalla.”

Beyond nan Discord relationship identified by Cox, Robinson appears to person had virtually nary online footprint that could beryllium instantly identified successful nationalist aliases backstage databases. Internet users produced images they claimed came from family photograph albums posted online, but nan accounts of his contiguous family members were unopen down quickly and these images couldn't beryllium verified; nary pointed to immoderate evident motive aliases ideology.

In a statement, Utah State University confirmed that Robinson concisely attended nan schoolhouse for 1 semester successful 2021.

Investigators recovered a Mauser .30-caliber hunting firearm adjacent nan segment of nan shooting, allegedly abandoned by nan gunman arsenic he fled into a wooded area. A spent information was recovered successful nan chamber, pinch 3 unrecorded cartridges successful nan magazine. Cox said Friday that nan casings bore engraved inscriptions. They reportedly see memes to crude jokes, specified arsenic “if you publication this, you are gay. LMAO.”