The suspect arrested within the deadly capturing of Charlie Kirk had an “obsession” with the conservative influencer, based mostly on the alleged shooter’s digital footprint, FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino mentioned Monday on Fox Information.
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah native, is accused of fatally capturing Kirk throughout an occasion at Utah Valley College on Sept. 10.
Bongino mentioned the suspect appeared to have exhibited “a number of warning indicators.”
Mugshot of Tyler Robinson, the suspect within the capturing of Charlie Kirk.
Courtesy of Gov. Spencer Cox
“I imagine co-workers said he had indifferent himself when the subject of politics got here up and walked away,” Bongino mentioned on Fox Information’ “America’s Newsroom.”
Bongino mentioned they’re wanting into whether or not anybody knew the capturing may occur and did not alert authorities, referring to on-line chats Robinson allegedly had about Kirk.
“Did they … hear it and suppose it was a joke? That’s what we’re looking for out now,” he advised Fox Information. “If there’s a bigger community right here, we are going to get that out to the general public as quickly as we are able to.”
FBI Director Kash Patel additionally introduced on “Fox & Pals” that DNA discovered on the crime scene, particularly the towel wrapped across the firearm used within the capturing, and on a screwdriver, hyperlinks Robinson to the killing of the conservative influencer.
Robinson was arrested final week for felony discharge of a firearm, aggravated homicide and obstruction of justice, in keeping with possible trigger paperwork, and was booked into the Utah County Jail.
Charging paperwork in opposition to Robison are anticipated to be filed early this week, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox mentioned on Friday.
Robinson was apprehended after his father acknowledged him in pictures launched by authorities, Cox mentioned on Friday. His father advised Robinson to show himself in, with the 22-year-old initially saying no, however later altering his thoughts, officers mentioned.
Simply earlier than 10 p.m. on Thursday, Robinson, his father and a detailed pal who beforehand labored in legislation enforcement — who can also be a youth volunteer with a neighborhood Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — drove collectively from Washington, Utah, to the Washington County Sheriff’s Workplace in Hurricane, in keeping with Sgt. Lance Alfred, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s workplace.
Through the drive, the household pal referred to as the private cellphone of the Washington County Sheriff’s Workplace patrol division chief to report the suspect was about to show himself in, Alfred advised ABC Information.
When Robinson arrived on the sheriff’s workplace, he was taken right into a constructing marked “Licensed Personnel Solely,” with personnel from the sheriff’s workplace notifying the Salt Lake Metropolis FBI workplace and different native legislation enforcement officers of the suspect’s arrival, Alfred mentioned.
Folks mourn Turning Level USA Founder Charlie Kirk at a memorial arrange outdoors of the Turning Level USA headquarters on September 12, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Charly Triballeau/AFP through Getty Photographs
Robinson was saved within the again places of work of the sheriff’s workplace and turned over to the FBI and different legislation enforcement upon their arrival, which was simply earlier than 6 a.m. on Friday.
Cox thanked Robinson’s household final week, saying, they “did the precise factor.”
Investigators additionally interviewed a member of the family of Robinson who mentioned the suspect had “grow to be extra political lately,” Cox mentioned.
In a current incident the member of the family detailed to investigators, Robinson got here to dinner and in a dialog with one other member of the family he talked about Kirk was coming to Utah Valley College. They talked about why they did not like him and his viewpoints.
President Donald Trump, who introduced Friday on “Fox & Pals” that the suspected shooter was in custody, mentioned Robinson ought to get the loss of life penalty.
“In Utah, you could have loss of life penalty, and an excellent governor there, I’ve gotten to know him,” Trump mentioned of Cox. “The governor is intent on the loss of life penalty on this case and he must be.”
Earlier than the arrest of the alleged shooter, officers mentioned that they had obtained “good” video footage of the person and had been capable of observe the actions of the suspect.
On the day of the capturing at roughly 11:52 a.m., the suspect arrived on the Orem campus after which proceeded to journey via the stairwells as much as the roof of the constructing close to the place the out of doors occasion was going down, earlier than the suspect fired down at Kirk, Utah Division of Public Security Commissioner Beau Mason mentioned final week.
Kirk was hit by a single shot at roughly 12:20 p.m. and brought to a hospital, the place he was pronounced lifeless, authorities mentioned.
After the capturing, the suspect traveled to the opposite aspect of the constructing, jumped off and fled off-campus right into a neighborhood, Mason mentioned.
On Friday, Erika Kirk, the conservative commentator’s spouse, mentioned “nobody will ever neglect my husband’s title.”
“You don’t have any concept the fireplace that you’ve got ignited inside this spouse, the cries of this widow will echo world wide like a battle cry,” Erika Kirk mentioned on Friday in her first public message since her husband’s loss of life.
ABC Information’ Luke Barr and Mike Levine contributed to this report.
