Who killed Charlie Kirk? Suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, in police custody
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Mugshot of alleged Charlie Kirk assassin released
Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox provide details on the 'taxing' investigation and efforts to identify and locate the suspected assassin accused of killing Charlie Kirk.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!WASHINGTON, Utah –Tyler Robinson, 22, has been identified as the suspect in Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's assassination on a Utah college campus.
"We got him on the evening of Sept. 11," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced in a Friday morning news briefing.
"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 them or implied that he had committed the incident."
TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION
The booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)
Background and upbringing
Since-deleted Facebook posts, viewed by Fox News Digital, paint a picture of Robinson’s life in Washington County, Utah, filled with family milestones, birthdays and school achievements.
Steven Dunham, director of communications for the Washington County School District, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Robinson was a student in the district from 2008 to May 2021, attending Pine View Middle School and Pine View High School.
By 2021, Robinson was shown moving into Utah State University (USU), with photos outside the Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Engineering Building.
Tyler Robinson in 2021 in front of the Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Engineering Building (ENGR) at Utah State University. The university said that Robinson was "briefly" a student at the public university. (Amber Robinson via Facebook)
In a statement to Fox News from USU, the public university said: "Utah State University confirms that Tyler Robinson, the suspect arrested in the killing of Charlie Kirk, briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021."
"We can also confirm that he was a pre-engineering major and took classes consistent with that major for his one semester," the school added.
PERSON OF INTEREST IN CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION PICTURED IN PHOTOS RELEASED BY FBI
USU spokesperson Amanda DeRito told Fox News Digital that Robinson was awarded the school’s Resident Presidential Scholarship, its highest scholarship. She said Robinson had no disciplinary record during his time at the university. According to USU, the scholarship is reserved for top academic achievers.
At the time of his arrest, Robinson was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College. In a statement, the Utah Board of Higher Education said that he is a "third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College. He briefly attended Utah State University (one semester in 2021) and received concurrent enrollment credit through Utah Tech University while in high school (2019-2021)."
The exterior of the parents' home of Tyler Robinson in Washington, Utah on September 12, 2025. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Investigation and arrest
At a news conference, Cox outlined the timeline leading to Robinson’s arrest.
The information was passed to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, investigators at Utah Valley University (UVU) and the FBI.
A gray Dodge Challenger parked in the driveway of Tyler Robinson's family home in Washington, Utah, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. Robinson reportedly drove a gray Dodge Challenger to UVU on the day he allegedly assassinated Charlie Kirk. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Surveillance and identification
Investigators said surveillance video showed Robinson arriving at UVU in a gray Dodge Challenger around 8:29 a.m. on Sept. 10, shortly before the shooting. A family member later confirmed to authorities that Robinson owned a vehicle matching that description.
"He is observed on video in a plain maroon T-shirt, light colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light colored shoes," Cox said.
Fox News Digital captured a gray Dodge Challenger parked in the driveway of Robinson's family home in Washington, Utah.
Witness statements
Family members told investigators 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," Cox said. "In that conversation, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had."
Investigators also spoke with Robinson’s roommate.
"Investigators interviewed that roommate who stated that his roommate, referring to Robinson, made a joke on Discord," Cox explained. "The content of these messages included… a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point… messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left… engraving bullets… and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel."
Map shows Orem, Utah, where the Kirk assassination shooting took place, and St. George, Utah, where the suspect was taken into custody on Sept. 12, 2025. (Fox News)
Weapon recovered
The investigation led to the recovery of a rifle north of UVU’s Campus Drive Road, where authorities found a rifle wrapped in a "dark-colored towel."
"The rifle was determined to be a Mauser Model 98 .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle," Cox said. "The rifle had a scope mounted on top of it. Investigators noted inscriptions that had been engraved on casings found with the rifle."
A general view of a wreath laid by mourners outside the US Embassy in Pretoria on Sept. 11, 2025, following the fatal shooting of US youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk while speaking during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, United States. (PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)
Governor: Robinson family ‘did the right thing’
Cox credited law enforcement and the public with swiftly closing in on Robinson.
"We are indebted to law enforcement across the state," he said. "We’re grateful for everyone who worked together in such a short amount of time to find this person and to bring justice."
WATCH: Utah governor details arrest of Tyler Robinson for Charlie Kirk's murder
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