- Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced the arrest of Tyler James Robinson in the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.
- Robinson, 22, was apprehended in southern Utah after tips from family and friends.
- Prosecutors say charges are expected to be filed against Robinson, a Dixie Technical College student, on Tuesday.
OREM — "We got him."
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced Friday that the man suspected of shooting and killing conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University has been arrested.
Tyler James Robinson, 22, of Washington, Washington County, was arrested in southern Utah after police received tips from Robinson's family members and a friend.
"A family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office with information that Robinson had confessed to him, or implied that he had committed the incident," Cox said.
"Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years. The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to Sept. 10 and in the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned that Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated that Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate," the governor said.
After Robinson was taken into custody, he was transported to Spanish Fork and booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing injury and obstruction of justice.
"This is what happens when you let good cops be cops," said FBI Director Kash Patel, who joined Cox in announcing the overnight arrest while also praising the partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to resolve the case quickly. "In 33 hours, we have made historic progress for Charlie."
"To my friend Charlie Kirk, rest now brother, we have the watch, and I'll see you in Valhalla," Patel said at the end of his remarks.
The Washington County Attorney's Office also issued a brief statement Friday due to several media reports that Robinson's father is a Washington County sheriff's deputy. "The individual arrested is not related to Washington County law enforcement! There are multiple people with the same names," the office said.
At 12:23 p.m. Wednesday, Kirk, 31, was sitting under a tent of an outdoor amphitheater-courtyard area speaking in front of approximately 3,000 people when he was shot in the neck by a man on the roof of the nearby Losee Center building from about 175 to 200 yards away.
According to new surveillance video, police believe Robinson drove to the UVU campus just before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. He wore a T-shirt and shorts.
At approximately 11:50 a.m., police say Robinson is seen on surveillance video "walking across a grassy area north of Campus Drive at approximately 800 West. Suspect walked south through the parking lot and approached a pedestrian tunnel that runs underneath Campus Drive. Before entering the tunnel, suspect paused at the top of the stairs and pulled out what appeared to be a cellphone from his right pocket using his right hand at approximately 11:53 a.m. Suspect eventually put what appeared to be a cellphone back in his right pants pocket using his right hand," a police booking affidavit states.
Just after noon, Robinson is allegedly seen walking on the north side of the Losee Center.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason says the gunman was able to easily make his way to a roof overlooking the courtyard where Kirk was speaking and, at some point, changed clothing.
"When he's first spotted on campus, he has different clothing on. And then he changes clothing on the roof. And then changed back into that (first) clothing at some point so that when he was apprehended, when he was arrested, the clothing matched the clothing he had on before the shooting," Cox said.
At 12:17 p.m., Robinson climbed over the short wall on the roof "and appeared to crouch down on the north side of the wall on the rooftop. At approximately 12:22 p.m. suspect stood up and started running across the rooftop of the Losee Center building. The notable limp from previous surveillance was absent," the affidavit states.
After the shooting, surveillance video shows the gunman hanging over the edge of the roof and dropping to the grassy ground below. He then walks across the road to a wooded area about a quarter mile away from campus where the gun was later discovered wrapped in a towel.
Investigators noted in the booking affidavit that the "suspect walks with a distinctive gait. Prior to the shooting, the suspect appears to walk with a stiff, right leg and at a relatively slow pace. Suspect's ability to bend his right leg appears to be restricted."
The rifle recovered is a Mauser model 98, .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle with a scope, Cox said Friday. He also confirmed that inscriptions were found on bullet casings that were found with the rifle.
"Inscriptions on a fired casing read, 'Notices Buldge OWO what's this?' Inscriptions on the three unfired casings read: 'hey fascist! CATCH!'" followed by an up arrow symbol, a right arrow symbol and three down arrow symbols.
"A second unfired casing read, 'O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, ciao!,' A third unfired casing read, 'If you read This, you are GAY Lmao,'" according to the affidavit.
"Bella Ciao" is an Italian song dedicated to those who fought against the occupying troops of Nazi Germany and other fascist forces during the liberation of Italy.
Investigators spoke to Robinson's roommate, who showed them messages Robinson had allegedly made on Discord, a chat and streaming platform popular with gamers, that included "a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving a rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel," Cox said.
The booking affidavit further states that the Discord messages also "refer to engraving bullets, and a mention of a scope and the rifle being unique. Messages from the contact 'Tyler' also mention that he had changed outfits."
Dixie Technical College in St. George confirmed Friday that Robinson is a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program.
While an exact motive was not discussed Friday, the governor reiterated that Kirk was the victim of a "political assassination." The governor said there is currently "no information that would lead to additional arrests," but noted that the investigation is still ongoing.
Also at Friday's press conference were Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith and Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray.
Gray's office released a statement Friday saying prosecutors are "carefully reviewing all the evidence in this case to determine the appropriate charges to file." He said he will hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce the filing of formal charges.
Robinson's first appearance in Provo's 4th District Court has been scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
Smith said it was a very fast and "taxing" investigation and that law enforcers have gotten very little sleep since Wednesday. He noted the great partnership between all the law enforcement agencies that have been working the case.
"Most of all, I would like to thank the public and specifically, I would like to thank the public who turned to prayers and who turned to positiveness for us," the sheriff said. "We needed those prayers. That's what we needed to get through this, your support. And you gave it to us."
