Authorities have confirmed that Tyler James Robinson, 22, has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
The attack took place on September 10, when Kirk was addressing a Turning Point USA event. Investigators say the shooter fired a single round from the rooftop of a nearby building, striking Kirk in the neck. A bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel was later recovered along the suspect’s escape route.
Robinson, a resident of Washington County, Utah, is enrolled in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College. Officials noted he did not attend Utah Valley University. His father reportedly recognized him in FBI surveillance photos and, with the help of a local pastor, persuaded him to surrender to authorities.
Police say they have collected significant forensic evidence, including bullet casings inscribed with political and mocking messages. Surveillance footage also captured a figure dressed in black fleeing from the rooftop immediately after the gunshot.
Robinson is being held without bail and faces multiple felony charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice. Under Utah law, aggravated murder carries the possibility of the death penalty.
More Read
The killing has drawn widespread condemnation across the political spectrum, with Utah Governor Spencer Cox urging greater civility and President Donald Trump labeling the incident a “heinous assassination.”
