Raphael Kanu
US President Donald Trump has confirmed the arrest of a suspect in the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, announcing on Fox & Friends: “I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him. In custody.”
Trump revealed that the suspect was turned in by a family member who is also a minister. “Somebody very close to him went to the father, went to a US Marshal – who was fantastic by the way – and brought him in,” the president said.
Authorities have identified the man as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, from St George, Utah, near Zion National Park, about 250 miles from the Utah Valley University campus where Kirk was shot dead on Wednesday.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson’s family member alerted a friend, who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office after Robinson allegedly confessed.
Investigators say surveillance footage shows Robinson arriving on campus in a grey Dodge Challenger four hours before the shooting. Messages recovered from Discord indicated Robinson planned to retrieve a rifle from a “drop point.”
The FBI confirmed it recovered the suspected murder weapon – an imported Mauser .30-06 bolt action rifle fitted with a scope – wrapped in a towel and hidden in a wooded area near campus. Spent shell casings bore engravings including “hey fascist! catch!” and “bella ciao.”
CCTV and forensic evidence helped track Robinson’s movements. After firing from a rooftop, he descended, leaving palm prints and a Converse shoe print before escaping into a wooded area.
The FBI says more than 11,000 leads were processed. Robinson was arrested at 10pm local time on Thursday night.
Charlie Kirk, 31, founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA and a close Trump ally, was shot in the neck while hosting an outdoor event attended by 3,000 people. Trump had also been the first to confirm Kirk’s death.
The FBI and Utah authorities described the case as a “vast, complicated and fast-paced investigation.”