'We got him': Tyler Robinson, 22, 'confessed' to family that he killed Charlie Kirk, officials say
The man arrested in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk had told family that he didn’t like the conservative activist “and the viewpoints he had,” authorities said Friday at a press conference.
“We got him,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said.
Tyler Robinson, 22, had become “more political” in the run-up to the shooting, his family told officials.
On Thursday evening, a family member reached out to a family friend who contacted law enforcement with information that Robinson “had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident,” said Cox. He also cited as key pieces of evidence engravings on bullets found in a rifle believed used in the attack as well as messages attributed to the accused shooter that a roommate shared with law enforcement after the shooting.
A family member told officials that Robinson had become more political and had said he “didn’t like (Kirk) and the viewpoints he had.”
Cox, a Republican, called Kirk’s killing an “attack on the American experiment,” and he urged a new generation to “choose a different path.”
Robinson is believed to have acted alone, and the investigation is ongoing, Cox said.
Cox said that a bolt action rifle with a scope mount was found wrapped in a dark towel and there were inscriptions on the bullet casings. “Notices, bulges,” one said. Others said: “Hey fascist! Catch!” “O bella ciao, bella ciao,” and “If you read this you are gay lmao.”
“I will leave that up to you to interpret what those engravings mean,” Cox said later. He added that “Hey fascist! Catch!” is the clearest one and “speaks for itself.”
Cox said investigators spoke to Robinson’s roommate who revealed Discord messages that were sent from an account with the name “Tyler.” The messages spoke about a drop point for a rifle and that he had changed outfits.
Cox thanked law enforcement and the public for their help in catching the suspect, including the Robinson’s family members, who “did the right thing.”
“I especially want to thank the family of Charlie Kirk,” he said. “I want us to be thinking of them as we bring justice to this case.”
President Donald Trump revealed earlier in Friday that authorities had arrested a suspect.
“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” the U.S. president said on Fox News Friday morning.
Trump appeared on the daily talk show Fox & Friends and was asked if there had been any developments in the assassination of the Conservative activist in Utah. Although Trump didn’t reveal any details, he said someone very close to the suspect is said to have turned him in.
???? BREAKING@POTUS: "I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody." pic.twitter.com/v7UX15Uibn
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 12, 2025
Trump said the information was made available to him five minutes before he was set to appear on the Fox News show. He said he hopes the killer gets the death penalty.
“Kirk was the finest person and he didn’t deserve this,” the U.S. president said, adding that Kirk was like a son to him.
The investigators released a series of photos and video of the suspect in Kirk’s killing. The 31-year-old Trump ally was assassinated as he spoke to students gathered in the courtyard of the Utah Valley University in Orem.
“We cannot do our job without the public’s help right now,” Cox said during a press conference on Thursday. “The public has answered our call for action.”
The FBI continues to work alongside our law enforcement partners to seek justice in the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. We are releasing additional photos of a person of interest. Information about this developing investigation can be found… pic.twitter.com/woZacCxYgE
— FBI Salt Lake City (@FBISaltLakeCity) September 12, 2025
The 31-year-old activist was killed by a single shot on Wednesday in a “targeted attack” that the governor of Utah called a political assassination. The suspected gunman fired from the rooftop, investigators said.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit political organization. At the time of the fatal incident, he was speaking at a debate at Utah Valley University. He was shot in broad daylight on the university campus and pronounced dead at a hospital a few hours later.
Kirk’s casket was flown on Air Force Two and arrived in Phoenix Thursday night. Vice president JD Vance helped carry the casket alongside other uniformed service personnel. Vance’s wife Usha stepped off the plane holding the hand of Kirk’s widow Erika.
Vance talked about his friendship with Kirk that began in 2017 when Kirk sent a message to Vance on X after his appearance on the Tucker Carlson show. He “told me I did a great job … and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today,” Vance posted online on Wednesday.
National Post, with additional reporting from The Associated Press
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