Suspect in custody in connection with Charlie Kirk shooting is 22-year-old from Utah

The suspect in custody in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a 22-year-old from Utah, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Authorities have identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Robinson had indicated to a family friend afterwards that he was responsible, said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. He also cited as key pieces of evidence engravings on bullets found in a rifle believed used in the attack, as well as chatting app messages attributed to the accused shooter that a roommate shared with law enforcement after the shooting.

Utah governor said the Kirk assassination suspect is believed to have acted alone.

Federal investigators and state officials released a series of photos and a video of Robinson Thursday.

Details emerge about Kirk shooting suspect

Tyler James Robinson was admitted to Utah State University on a prestigious academic scholarship, according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter posted to a family member’s social media account. A university spokesperson says he attended for only one semester in 2021.

Utah state records say Robinson was registered as a voter but not affiliated with either political party.

Suspect’s father recognized him, AP source says

Robinson’s father recognized him from images released by authorities and encouraged him to turn himself in, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

He refused at first, but then changed his mind, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

His father reached out for help to a youth pastor, who helped Robinson turn himself in.

Suspect’s mother’s social media posts portray a happy family

Robinson has two younger brothers and his parents have been married for about 25 years, according to his mother’s social media posts. The family lives in a suburb of the city of St. George in southern Utah. That’s about a 3.5 hour drive south of the Utah Valley University campus where Kirk was shot.

The social media posts indicate his family was active, with photos of vacations to Disneyland, Alaska, and St. Kitts and time outdoors spent fishing, zip-lining, and target shooting.

Clues from the scene

A Mauser .30-caliber, bolt-action rifle was found in a towel in the woods. A spent cartridge was recovered from the chamber, and three other rounds were loaded in the magazine, according to information circulated among law enforcement and described to The Associated Press. The weapon and ammunition were being analyzed by law enforcement at a federal lab.

Security gaps

The assassination offers the latest example of how ordinary security measures can be defeated in an era of escalating political violence, when anyone associated with the political process is a potential target. Security experts interviewed by AP questioned whether the event was sufficiently staffed, but also acknowledged the limitations of both campus police forces and outdoor venues.

The president talked about learning the news of Kirk’s assassination

Near the end of his Fox interview, Trump said he’d been holding a meeting about building the new White House ballroom when his aides interrupted.

“They came in and they said, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’ I didn’t know what they meant. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?’” Trump said.

”‘Charlie Kirk was shot.’ And they thought it was dead because it was so horrific.”

Trump said he swiftly ended his meeting. “I just told these people, ‘Get out, you gotta go.'”

Trump says politicians should still have public events despite safety concerns

“You have to go forward,” the president said when asked about appearances getting cancelled after Kirk’s assassination.

Trump says he didn’t want to watch the video of Charlie Kirk’s shooting

“I didn’t want to remember Charlie that way,” Trump said in an interview on Fox & Friends.

Graphic video of the shooting in Utah has circulated widely online.

Details of messages on bullet casings revealed

Bullet casings discovered by investigators had several inscriptions engraved on them, Cox said. The casing that had been fired read: “notices bulges OWO what’s this?”

• Cox said there were three unfired casings:
• One read, “hey fascist! catch!” with an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols.
• Another one read: “oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao,” Cox said.
• The third fired casing read: “if you read this you are gay lmao.”

Governor says Kirk’s assassination ‘is an attack on all of us’

Cox said some people have asked why there have been so many resources dedicated to investigating Kirk’s killing when there’s violence around the country, but the governor said it is “much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us.”

The Republican said Kirk’s killing is “an attack on the American experiment” and values, and “cuts to the very foundation of who we are.”

FBI Director Patel shares timeline of investigation

The first FBI agents arrived on the scene at Utah Valley University some 16 minutes after Kirk was shot on Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel said at the news conference.

The bureau released the first photos of the suspect on Thursday morning, followed by the announcement of a cash reward and then the release of video of the suspect climbing down from the roof of a campus building and running away.

“Just last night, the suspect was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time,” Patel announced.

Cox calls social media a ‘cancer on our society right now’

Cox was referencing the rapid spread of graphic video of Kirk’s fatal shooting, along with the recent release of video a deadly stabbing on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He said Americans aren’t used to seeing such graphic imagery. He encouraged people to step away from their devices and spend time with family instead.

“This is not good for us. It is not good to consume,” the Utah governor said. “Social media is a cancer on our society right now.”