The two-day hunt for the man who killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk ended Thursday night when Utah authorities took 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson into custody. Officials say tips from his own family set the arrest in motion after relatives recognized him in the FBI-released images. One relative said Robinson had confessed or implied that he was involved in the shooting. “We got him,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters Friday, thanking the public for thousands of leads as investigators pieced together video, digital messages, and physical evidence left at the scene.
President Donald Trump broke the news during a live Fox & Friends interview. “I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump said, adding, “essentially, someone who knew him turned him in." The president later emphasized that he hopes the suspect gets the death penalty if found guilty. Since then, media outlets have flooded the internet with details on Robinson’s arrest and what led up to it. Here is what we know so far.
Investigating the Assassination of Charlie Kirk
The Shooting
On Wednesday, September 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was speaking during a “Prove Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University, part of his “American Comeback Tour,” in front of a crowd of about 3,000. His last conversation, which was on gun violence, went like this:
An audience member asked, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?”
“Too many," said Kirk.
The speaker said there have been five and then asked, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk replied – then a bullet struck him in the neck.
Law enforcement started collecting information, looking for witnesses, and gathering surveillance videos, including cell phone footage from attendees. CNN reviewed 911 dispatch calls immediately following the shooting. One caller told emergency response that the “current speaker” had “just got shot in the head.” Another said the shot came “from above the railing, above the courtyard.” A third caller reported, “He got shot right in the neck.” Those reports matched video evidence and the medical outcome.
Investigators were able to track the alleged assassin’s movements from when he was first seen on video walking across Campus Drive and then through a parking lot that led to a pedestrian tunnel. Police said Robinson appeared to be limping before the shooting, walking with a stiff right leg. He paused at the top of the stairs to retrieve what looked to be a cell phone from his pocket, then made his way to the Losee Center. The suspect was then seen entering the building. At around 12:17 p.m. local time, video shows him appearing to crouch down by the wall of the rooftop, and within five minutes, he stood up and started running across the roof. He lay down in a prone position atop the roof, and at 12:23 p.m., Charlie Kirk was shot. Surveillance footage shows Robinson hop to his feet, run to the corner of the building, and then lower himself down to the grass below. He ran across Campus Drive and disappeared into a nearby neighborhood, according to reports.
“Political violence is different than any other type of violence for lots of different reasons, one because in the very act that Charlie championed of expression, that freedom of expression that is enshrined in our founding documents, in having his life taken that … makes it more difficult for people to feel like they can share their ideas, that they can speak freely,” Gov. Cox said during a press conference.
The Arrest
At around 11 p.m. local time on September 11, Tyler James Robinson was arrested for the assassination of Charlie Kirk. According to a news conference on Friday, September 12, the suspect’s roommate showed police postings that Robinson made on Discord, a platform for texting, messaging, and video sharing. He allegedly discussed details of the crime, including comments about stowing a rifle at a “drop point,” Governor Cox said. Robinson reportedly explained how he disposed of the weapon by wrapping it in a towel and mentioned that some bullets were engraved.
