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 photographs 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 thanked the members of the family of the suspected shooter, who he mentioned “did the appropriate factor” in bringing him to legislation enforcement.
President Donald Trump was the primary to announce the suspect was in custody throughout an look on “Fox and Associates” Friday morning.
Utah Governor’s Workplace
Cox mentioned a member of the family instructed investigators that Robinson had grow to be extra political lately, and referenced an incident the place Robinson had come to dinner and talked about Kirk’s upcoming look.
Kirk, who was 31, was partaking in considered one of his signature “Show Me Incorrect” 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 folks 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 varsity 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. A college spokeswoman mentioned the one shot is believed to have been fired from the Losee Middle for Pupil Success, which homes various companies and assets. A legislation enforcement supply instructed CBS Information the gunman appeared to have fired from the constructing’s roof.
After the taking pictures, the shooter jumped off the constructing and fled right into a neighborhood off campus, Mason mentioned. Photographs launched by legislation enforcement confirmed an individual sporting a darkish baseball cap, black glasses, a long-sleeved darkish shirt that appeared to function an American flag and an eagle, and dark-colored pants.
FBI 
Investigators recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle that they imagine was used within the assassination, Robert Bohls, the FBI particular agent in control of 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, “In case you learn this, you’re homosexual.”
Cox declined to take a position on the which means of the inscriptions.
“I’ll go away that as much as you to interpret what these engravings imply,” Cox mentioned. He added that the “Hey fascist, catch!” inscription “speaks for itself.”
The arrest comes after two folks 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 individual taken into custody was charged with obstruction of justice, the division mentioned.
Kirk was a detailed ally of President Trump and a good friend 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 “an enormous of his era, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to tens of millions and tens of millions of individuals.” 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 kids. Kirk’s physique was transported Thursday to Arizona, the place his household lives, on Air Drive Two, the vp’s aircraft.
