OREM: The suspect arrested in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk had expressed political opposition to the victim and is believed to have acted alone, authorities said Friday, in a killing that has renewed national concerns over political violence.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody early Friday morning in connection with the fatal shooting of Kirk, who was killed during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Law enforcement officials said key evidence, including engraved bullets and private chat messages, helped identify Robinson as the gunman.
“This was a targeted attack,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican. “It was an attack on the American experiment.”
According to investigators, Robinson had become “increasingly political” in recent months and had voiced disapproval of Kirk’s views to family and friends. After the shooting, he reportedly told a family friend he was responsible. A roommate later turned over messages from a chat app that also implicated him.
Authorities said a high-powered, bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered near the scene. The suspect allegedly fired a single shot from a rooftop as Kirk spoke at a Turning Point USA event and then fled into nearby woods.
The shooting was captured on video, which circulated widely on social media. In the footage, Kirk can be seen speaking into a microphone when the gunshot rings out. He grabs his neck as blood pours from the wound, and panicked attendees scream and scatter. Kirk was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead hours later.
President Donald Trump confirmed Robinson’s arrest during a Fox News interview Friday morning, saying, “With a high degree of certainty, we have him.” He also called the killing “a disgrace” and said Kirk “didn’t deserve this.”
Trump said he plans to attend Kirk’s funeral and will posthumously award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The FBI and state officials had released images and video of the suspect just hours before the arrest, signaling a wide-reaching manhunt. Over 7,000 tips were submitted, officials said.
Kirk, 31, was a prominent conservative figure known for co-founding Turning Point USA, a nonprofit aimed at engaging young Republican voters. He was often at the center of heated political discourse, particularly on college campuses.
Just before the shooting, Kirk had been answering a question about gun violence during the first stop of his “American Comeback Tour.” The event had sparked controversy on campus, drawing an online petition with nearly 1,000 signatures calling for his appearance to be canceled. University officials defended his right to speak, citing First Amendment protections.
In Salt Lake City, Vice President JD Vance and his wife visited Kirk’s family. Vance praised Kirk’s influence, crediting him with helping organize support for the administration and staffing government positions after the 2024 election. “He didn’t just help us win — he helped us govern,” Vance wrote on social media.
Kirk’s body was flown aboard Air Force Two to Phoenix, Arizona, where Turning Point USA is headquartered. Funeral details have not yet been announced.
The shooting has drawn bipartisan condemnation, with both Republican and Democratic leaders warning of rising political violence nationwide. “This can’t be the path we choose,” said Governor Cox. “We must be better than this.”
