A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Utah over the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, whose shooting during a university event earlier this week stunned the country.
Tyler Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday after a 33-hour manhunt that ended when his father convinced him to surrender to authorities.
President Donald Trump was the first to announce Robinson’s arrest, saying he should face the death penalty.
The attack, which happened as Kirk was debating students on Wednesday, has sparked national shock and highlighted deep partisan tensions in the United States.
At a press briefing on Friday, investigators revealed that Robinson had confessed to his father, saying he would rather end his own life than hand himself in.
His father contacted a youth pastor, who is also a family friend, and together they calmed him down.
The pastor, who also works as a court security officer, then alerted the US Marshals who detained the suspect around 10:00 pm local time.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters that surveillance cameras captured Robinson arriving at Utah Valley University about four hours before Kirk was shot.
He added that when Robinson was arrested, he wore clothing similar to what was seen on the footage.
A family member told investigators Robinson had become increasingly political in recent years, and had recently mentioned Kirk’s visit to Utah, saying he was “full of hate and spreading hate.”
Investigators also interviewed Robinson’s roommate, who showed them messages linked to an account named “Tyler” on the messaging platform Discord. The messages described retrieving a rifle from a “drop point,” saying it had been left in a bush wrapped in a towel.
According to the FBI, the weapon believed to have been used in the shooting, an imported Mauser .30-06 bolt action rifle – was later discovered wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus.
The rifle, fitted with a scope, had casings engraved with phrases including “hey fascist! CATCH!” and “O Bella ciao, Bella ciao.” The latter is the title of a famous Italian resistance song from World War II.
Governor Cox said he was not aware of any other possible arrests. State prosecutors announced that formal charges will be filed against Robinson on Tuesday.
He faces counts of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm, according to booking records from the Utah County Sheriff.
Students at Utah Valley University expressed relief after the arrest, though the campus remains closed with police securing the area.
“He was apprehended in Washington County, which is where I’m from,” said first-year student McKinley Shinkle. “I just feel deeply ashamed.”
Her cousin Anthony added, “I’m definitely relieved. I’m just anxious now to hear his motives and why this happened.”
Public records reviewed by the BBC show Robinson previously registered as an unaffiliated voter in Utah. His parents, Matthew Carl Robinson and Amber Denise Robinson, are listed as Republicans.
He did not cast a ballot in the last two presidential elections and was underage during the 2020 vote.
Robinson lives in St George, near Zion National Park, about 250 miles southwest of the shooting scene. He is a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College.
According to social media, his father owns a cabinet and countertop business, while his mother works as a social worker.
The family is active in their Mormon church.
