Suspect in Charlie Kirk assassination Tyler Robinson 'expressed opposition to his views'

Published connected 12/09/2025 - 20:10 GMT+2 •Updated 20:40

Authorities person named nan fishy connected Friday successful relationship pinch nan assassination of blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk arsenic 22-year-old Utah autochthonal Tyler Robinson, who is now successful custody.

US President Donald Trump first collapsed nan news that rule enforcement had a fishy successful custody connected Friday, successful what appears to beryllium a important breakthrough successful nan investigation.

“Somebody that was very adjacent to him said, ‘Hmm, that’s him,’” Trump said during his quality connected Fox television, adding that he recovered retired astir nan apprehension 5 minutes anterior to joining nan show.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox held a property conference, on pinch FBI Director Kash Patel, to denote nan news.

“Good greeting ladies and gentlemen. We sewage him,” said Cox arsenic he began his address.

“On nan evening of 11 September, a family personnel of Tyler Robinson reached retired to a family friend who contacted nan Washington County Sheriff's Office pinch accusation that Robinson had confessed to them aliases implied that he had committed nan incident.”

Cox noted that nan accusation was past relayed to different section and national rule enforcement officers handling nan investigation.

What is known astir Kirk's assassination?

Authorities person yet to uncover a motive, but they did picture grounds they said shed imaginable ray connected nan slaying.

That includes engravings connected slug casings recovered from nan high-powered firearm believed utilized successful nan attack, including 1 that said, “Hey, fascist! Catch!” Cox said.

In addition, a roommate shared pinch authorities messages from nan chatting app Discord that progressive a interaction named Tyler and discussed a firearm wrapped successful a towel, engraved bullets and a scope, nan politician said.

A Mauser .30-calibre, bolt-action firearm was recovered successful a wooded area on nan way investigators judge Robinson took aft firing a changeable from a distant tile and past fleeing.

The apparel nan fishy wore erstwhile confronted by rule enforcement precocious Thursday were accordant pinch what he had connected erstwhile he arrived connected field a time earlier, and a family personnel confirmed that he drove a grey Dodge Challenger that surveillance video captured him driving to nan university, Cox said.

Robinson’s begetter recognised him from nan photos released by nan FBI and told him to move himself in. Robinson refused astatine first, but past changed his mind, according to a rule enforcement charismatic who said connected nan information of anonymity to talk an ongoing investigation.

His begetter reached retired for thief to their younker pastor, who besides occasionally useful pinch nan US Marshals and called nan agency truthful he could move himself in.

Suspect turned 'more governmental successful caller years'

The Republican politician besides revealed that investigators discovered done interviews conducted pinch nan suspect’s adjacent friends and family that Robinson had go “more governmental successful caller years” and expressed his dislike of Kirk successful nan days starring up to nan incident.

“Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU (Utah Valley University). They talked astir why they didn't for illustration him and nan viewpoints that he had. The family personnel besides stated Kirk was afloat of dislike and spreading hate,” noted Cox.

“The contented of these messages included messages affiliated pinch nan interaction Tyler, stating a request to retrieve a firearm from a driblet point, leaving nan firearm successful a bush.”

“Messages related to visually watching an area wherever a firearm was near and a connection referring to having near nan firearm wrapped successful a towel. The messages besides referred to engraving bullets and a mention of a scope and nan firearm being unique,” added Cox.

The Utah politician reiterated his condemnation of nan “cowardly” onslaught connected Kirk’s life, which he erstwhile again stressed was a politically motivated attack.

He slammed nan assassination arsenic an onslaught “on each of us” which threatens nan very halfway of nan “American experiment,” ideals and principles.

Cox took a infinitesimal to reside nan younker towards nan extremity of his briefing, urging them to protect their populist and cull governmental unit of each kinds.