Suspect arrested in Utah assassination of conservative speaker Charlie Kirk

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Trump announces Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin is in custody

President Donald Trump announced the capture of a suspect accused of killing Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, co-founder of Turning Point USA and friend of Vice President JD Vance.

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FIRST ON FOX:Orem, UTAH — Police have arrested a suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus earlier this week – identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident.

Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was sitting under a tent around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, debating with students on hot-button current affairs issues, when a single shot rang out. Video from the scene shows him struck in the neck before he slumped out of his chair.

He had been invited to speak at Utah Valley University by the campus chapter of Turning Point USA, a national conservative student group he founded. 

"I think with a high-degree of certainty, we have him," President Donald Trump revealed on "Fox & Friends" Friday morning. He added that, "essentially, someone who knew him turned him in." 

TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION 

The booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspected in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)

PERSON OF INTEREST IN CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION PICTURED IN PHOTOS RELEASED BY FBI

Trump said he hopes the suspect gets the death penalty if found guilty. He also explained how investigators found the suspect — with help from a minister, a member of the U.S. Marshals Service and the suspect's father.

READ THE PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

"We have the person that we think is the person we're looking for, but they drove into the police headquarters, and he's there now," Trump said.

Sources told Fox News that Robinson's father played a role in his surrender. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said during a press briefing Friday morning that the suspect's family "did the right thing." Relatives and his roommate cooperated with investigators, he said.

A spokesman for the Utah County Sheriff's Office, the department holding Robinson in its local jail, told Fox News Digital charges are expected to be formally filed early next week.

Map shows Orem, Utah, where the Kirk assassination shooting took place, and St. George, Utah, where the suspect was taken into custody on September 12, 2025. (Fox News)

Cox revealed that police also recovered spent casings and unfired rounds with writing on them. The etchings included the phrases, "Notices," "bulges," "OWO," "what's this?" "Hey fascist! Catch!" "Bella ciao bella ciao ciao," "If you read this, you are gay LMAO" and a series of arrows, one pointing up, one pointing to the right, and three pointing down.

Robinson allegedly discussed details of the crime with his roommate on the Discord app, sending messages about stowing and retrieving a rifle from a "drop point," Cox said. He allegedly mentioned disposing of it wrapped in a towel, mentioned engraving the bullets and that the scope and rifle were "unique." 

A split showing four newly-released photographs of the person of interest in Charlie Kirk's assassination on Sept. 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. (Utah Public Safety)

Cox said no additional arrests were expected as of Friday's news briefing. He identified the suspected murder weapon as a bolt-action Mauser .30-06. 

According to a probable cause affidavit, one of Robinson's family members reached out to a friend who told local authorities the suspect "had confessed to them or implaied that he had committed the incident."

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK 

Robinson attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021, according to authorities. Kirk was scheduled to speak there for another Turning Point USA event on Sept. 30.

 Robinson later attended Dixie Technical College, where he was a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program, education officials said Friday. 

Charlie Kirk appears at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his "American Comeback Tour" when he was shot in the neck and killed.  (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

Witnesses screamed in horror and fled for cover after the bullet struck Kirk in the neck. He was rushed to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

Other video circulating online appears to show a dark-clad figure on a rooftop. Authorities said the gunshot came from about 200 yards away, likely from a perch atop the Losee Center building, which is on the opposite side of the plaza from where Kirk was speaking.

The discussion also referred to a change of outfits. Cox said the suspect was allegedly arrested in clothes he was seen wearing before the shooting, which are different from the ones he was allegedly wearing at the time of the crime. 

Authorities also tracked his car, a gray Dodge Challenger, from the UVU campus to his home.

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