Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley College on Wednesday as he addressed a big crowd at an out of doors debate. Officers described it as a “focused assault,” and it drew condemnation from both sides of the political aisle as authorities launched a large search for the suspect.
On Friday, officers introduced they’ve an individual in custody for the deadly capturing. They recognized him as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who resides in southern Utah. Robinson was arrested on fees of aggravated homicide, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm inflicting severe bodily harm, in accordance with an inmate reserving sheet from the Utah County Sheriff’s Workplace. Utah County Lawyer Jeff Grey plans to file formal fees within the case on Tuesday, in accordance with a spokesperson.
Kirk, who co-founded the right-wing advocacy group Turning Level USA, was 31. He’s survived by his spouse, Erika, and two younger kids.
Here’s what we all know to this point concerning the assassination and ongoing investigation.
Who’s the suspect?
Extra particulars about Robinson and what occurred earlier than and after the assault are rising.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox stated Robinson is just not a pupil at Utah Valley College, the place the assault occurred, and has been dwelling together with his household in Washington County, situated within the southwestern nook of the state. Members of the family stated Robinson had “develop into extra political” in recent times, the governor stated.
Utah Governor’s Workplace
Utah State College stated Robinson briefly attended the college for one semester in 2021. Based on the Utah System of Increased Training, Robinson was a third-year pupil within the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical Faculty in St. George, Utah.
Robinson’s father owns a enterprise putting in kitchen counter tops and cupboards and his mom is a licensed social employee, in accordance with public data and their social media accounts. Robinson is the oldest of three brothers.
“They’re very supportive dad and mom who liked their boys and are concerned in the neighborhood,” a neighbor who stated she knew the Robinson household nicely however had not seen Robinson in just a few years informed CBS News. She additionally stated the dad and mom had been supportive of the nation and of President Trump.
State data present that Robinson registered to vote as unaffiliated. He’s listed as an inactive voter in state data, that means he did not vote within the final two elections. He was not sufficiently old to vote in 2020.
Robinson had no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions and no prior violent offenses, in accordance with a Public Security Evaluation Report filed in Utah state courtroom.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated he was taken into custody at 10 p.m. native time Thursday evening, although Utah officers stated it was within the early hours of Friday. Data from the Utah County Sheriff’s Workplace Corrections Division present he was booked into jail at 7:58 a.m. native time (9:58 a.m. ET).
Mr. Trump first broke the information on “Fox and Associates” that somebody had been taken into custody.
“With a excessive diploma of certainty, now we have him in custody. Everybody did an excellent job,” the president stated.
Cox stated messages on Discord, an prompt messaging and social media platform, that had been reviewed by investigators referenced a rifle wrapped in a towel that was left within the woods and engravings on bullets. The messages got here from an individual named “Tyler” and had been shared with an unidentified particular person, Cox stated.
A spokesperson for Discord later stated it eliminated an account related to Robinson and stated the corporate will proceed to coordinate intently with regulation enforcement.
The governor stated authorities consider Robinson acted alone and stated there’s presently no data that may result in further arrests. He informed reporters Friday morning he cannot reply questions concerning the doable motive of the suspect.
Robinson is presently on “particular watch” on the Utah County Jail whereas he’s being evaluated to find out if he’s a danger to himself or others, Utah County Sheriff’s Spokesperson Sgt. Raymond Ormond informed CBS News. Inmates are held in a particular housing unit whereas on particular watch.
All inmates are given an preliminary screening after reserving, however some are placed on the extra intensive particular watch till they’re screened, relying on the crimes they dedicated or issues they stated, Ormond stated.
How the suspect was captured
Cox stated Robinson’s father acknowledged his son as the topic of photographs that had been launched by regulation enforcement and urged him to show himself in.
Robinson admitted to his father that he was the individual within the photographs, two federal regulation enforcement sources informed CBS News. Robinson stated he would fairly die by suicide than flip himself in, the federal regulation enforcement sources stated.
Robinson’s father referred to as a youth pastor who is aware of the 22-year-old and is near the household, and he and the pastor tried to calm Robinson down. The sources stated the pastor, who additionally serves as a courtroom safety officer, referred to as the U.S. Marshals Service and different regulation enforcement companies. Marshals then detained Robinson and stored him safe whereas ready for the FBI. The FBI later took him into custody.
Investigators reviewed video footage and stated they recognized Robinson arriving on Utah Valley College’s campus in a grey Dodge Challenger at round 8:29 a.m. native time Wednesday, the day of the capturing, in accordance with the governor. Robinson was carrying a plain maroon T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white emblem and light-colored footwear, Cox stated.
He’s believed to have modified clothes on the roof, the place the shot was fired from, earlier than altering again into what he was initially carrying. When investigators encountered Robinson, he was carrying clothes in keeping with that outfit, the governor stated.
Monitoring the suspect
On Thursday, Utah Public Security Commissioner Beau Mason described the suspect they had been in search of as a male who “blended in” with the school neighborhood and seemed to be faculty age.
The general public security division and the Salt Lake Metropolis FBI workplace posted images of somebody they referred to as a “individual of curiosity,” displaying a person showing to put on a darkish long-sleeve shirt, a hat and sun shades. Extra photographs posted in a while Thursday confirmed the individual carrying a backpack.
FBI 
Mason stated investigators had been in a position to observe the shooter’s actions before and after the assassination.
Based on a possible trigger assertion filed by investigators after Robinson’s arrest, investigators had been in a position to observe his actions on campus beginning at roughly 11:50 a.m. native time on Wednesday. He was noticed coming into a constructing referred to as the Losee Middle close to the place Kirk’s occasion was going down, which was the capturing location, and going as much as the roof, in accordance with the assertion.
Mason stated the shooter moved to the opposite aspect of the constructing after firing a single shot, then jumped off and fled right into a neighborhood off campus. Investigators contacted owners with cameras and witnesses to determine leads, he stated.
In a information briefing Thursday night in Orem, Utah, with Patel in attendance, officers launched safety video that confirmed a person — who Mason referred to as a suspect — working throughout the roof after which climbing down the aspect of the constructing instantly after the capturing.
As he climbed off the sting of the constructing and dropped down, he “left some palm impressions, some smudges, some locations we’re seeking to gather DNA,” together with a shoe print that indicated he was carrying Converse tennis footwear, Mason informed reporters whereas displaying the video.
“It is vital to notice his black t-shirt, his black pants, and there seems to be some white on the soles of these Converse tennis footwear,” Mason stated. “These are all identifiable gadgets that we’re searching for.”
After dropping off the constructing, the video confirmed the person shifting throughout a grassy space earlier than coming into visitors. Mason stated he crossed the road right into a wooded space, the place the firearm believed to have been used within the capturing was later discovered.
The FBI stated it was providing a reward of up to $100,000 for data that leads regulation enforcement to determine and arrest the individual or individuals concerned in Kirk’s assassination. Patel stated authorities had acquired greater than 11,000 leads as of Friday morning.
Gun and bullet casings recovered
FBI special-agent-in-charge Robert Bohls stated Thursday that investigators recovered a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle,” which they consider was the weapon used within the assassination. It was present in a wooded space the place the shooter fled and was wrapped in a towel, in accordance with Bohls. The rifle was decided to be a Mauser .30-06-caliber bolt-action rifle, in accordance with the possible trigger assertion.
Cox stated that there have been inscriptions on the casings of the bullet that was fired, in addition to on the casings of three bullets that weren’t fired.
Based on the possible trigger assertion, the fired bullet casing contained the inscription, “Notices Buldge OWO what’s this?” An unfired bullet casing learn, “hey fascist! CATCH!” adopted by an up arrow image, a proper arrow image and three down arrow symbols. And a second unfired casing learn, “O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, ciao!” A 3rd unfired casing stated, “When you learn This, you’re GAY Lmao.”
Cox did not speculate on the that means of the inscriptions.
Investigators even have a footwear impression, palm print and forearm imprints that can be analyzed, the FBI official stated.
Timeline of “focused assault”
The occasion the place Kirk was talking was scheduled to start within the UVU courtyard at midday.
A CBS News evaluate of livestream footage and video metadata signifies Kirk was shot round 12:23 p.m., which can also be when the FBI’s Patel stated Kirk was shot. He was struck within the neck by a single gunshot.
A map produced by CBS News’ Confirmed team reveals the place Kirk was when he was shot — within the central courtyard of Utah Valley College, which is surrounded by campus buildings.
CBS News Confirmed 
A college spokeswoman stated Wednesday that they believed the shot was fired from the Losee Middle. A regulation enforcement supply informed CBS News that the gunman appeared to have fired from the constructing’s roof.
The FBI launched a video — timestamped at 12:23 p.m. native time — that seems to point out an individual climbing off a roof at Utah Valley College and fleeing the scene. Dispatch audio reviewed by CBS News described an individual on the roof of a close-by constructing carrying black clothes and carrying a protracted rifle.
Video captured at 2:37 p.m. reveals officers looking out an space round 1 / 4 mile north of the campus.
At 2:40, greater than two hours after the capturing, Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social that Kirk had died.
Whereas authorities haven’t specified a possible motive for the capturing, Mason stated they consider it was a “focused assault towards one particular person.” Just one shot was fired, and Kirk was the one sufferer, the commissioner stated.
Cox referred to as the capturing “a political assassination,” whereas Mr. Trump, in a video posted to Reality Social, blamed it on “radical left political violence,” which he stated “has damage too many harmless individuals and brought too many lives.”
Charlie Kirk’s affect in politics
Kirk was shot whereas he was talking at a “Show Me Unsuitable” debate, a trademark occasion for Kirk’s Turning Level USA, which is a conservative group targeted on younger individuals. He would maintain political debates with a gaggle that often consisted of left-leaning attendees.
Kirk had visited the Utah college as a part of a nationwide tour of school campuses that was scheduled to proceed for the subsequent two months. About 3,000 individuals attended the outside occasion the place he was assassinated, the Utah Division of Public Security stated in an announcement.
Mr. Trump referred to as Kirk legendary, saying, “Nobody understood or had the Coronary heart of the Youth in the USA of America higher than Charlie. He was liked and admired by ALL, particularly me, and now, he’s now not with us.”
Kirk was an in depth Trump ally and was credited with galvanizing youthful voters throughout his marketing campaign. He made it his mission to interact extra younger individuals in politics and register them to vote. Kirk was additionally an in depth buddy of the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr.
Kirk was the host of “The Charlie Kirk Present,” a every day conservative speak radio present and amassed tens of millions of followers on social media.
Kirk’s politics, nonetheless, weren’t with out controversy. He pushed false claims about voter fraud after Mr. Trump misplaced the 2020 presidential election, stoked skepticism concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and unfold anti-trans rhetoric. He additionally amplified the “Nice Substitute” conspiracy, which relies on the assumption that there is a plot to switch White individuals with minorities.
He was a buddy of JD Vance, who stated Kirk advocated “in private and non-private” for Mr. Trump to choose him as his working mate final 12 months.
“A lot of the success we have had on this administration traces on to Charlie’s potential to prepare and convene,” Vance stated after Kirk was killed. “He did not simply assist us win in 2024, he helped us workers your entire authorities.”
,
Joe Walsh and
contributed to this report.
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