Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced Friday morning during a joint press conference with the FBI that law enforcement had taken Tyler Robinson into custody in connection with the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The arrest comes 33 hours after the deadly shooting at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot during a public appearance.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We got him,” Cox told reporters in a solemn briefing. He explained that the breakthrough came after a family member of Robinson reached out to authorities on the evening of Sept. 11. “A family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend, who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident.”
Cox detailed the swift coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that followed. “This information was relayed to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and scene investigators at Utah Valley University. This information was also conveyed to the FBI,” he said.
Investigators quickly matched Robinson to surveillance footage from the UVU campus. “Investigators reviewed additional video footage from UVU’s surveillance and identified Robinson arriving on UVU campus in a gray Dodge Challenger at approximately 8:29 a.m. on September 10th, in which he is observed on video in a plain maroon T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo, and light-colored shoes,” Cox recounted. When confronted by authorities in Washington County early on Sept. 12, Robinson was wearing clothing consistent with the surveillance images.
The governor also provided insight into Robinson’s background and possible motives.
“Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson, who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years,” Cox said. That family member recalled a dinner prior to Sept. 10 in which Robinson had discussed Kirk’s visit to UVU, criticizing the conservative commentator’s views. “The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate,” Cox added.
Related: Suspect in Charlie Kirk Assassination Identified
Authorities also recovered critical digital evidence. Cox described interviews with Robinson’s roommate, who revealed messages on Discord that helped confirm the suspect’s intentions. “The content of these messages included messages affiliated with the contact Tyler stating a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush… messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel,” Cox said. The messages also included references to engraving bullets and changing outfits.
Law enforcement recovered the rifle used in the attack. “Investigators discovered a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a dark-colored towel. The rifle was determined to be a Mauser Model 98 .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle,” Cox confirmed. The firearm had a scope mounted on top, and investigators noted that the bullet casings contained inscriptions, including “Hey, fascist!” and “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”
It was not explained how Robinson obtained the gun.
Cox thanked law enforcement, family members, and the public for their assistance. “We are indebted to law enforcement across the state, who have worked seamlessly together… We’re grateful for everyone who worked together in such a short amount of time to find this person and to bring justice.” He specifically praised Robinson’s family for coming forward: “I want to thank the family members of Tyler Robinson who did the right thing in this case and were able to bring him into law enforcement as well.”
The governor also acknowledged the victims’ family, saying, “I especially want to thank the family of Charlie Kirk, Erika, Charlie’s parents, his children. I want us to be thinking of them as we bring justice in this case. They will be involved in that justice. We will be working very closely with them as we move through this process as well.”
“This is a very sad day for our country, a terrible day for the State of Utah, but I’m grateful that at this moment, we have an opportunity to bring closure to this very dark chapter in our nation’s history,” Cox concluded.
PJ Media brings you breaking news, investigative reports, and thoughtful commentary from writers you trust. But we need your support to continue our mission. Join PJ Media VIP with promo code FIGHT for 60% off and get premium content, ad-free reading, and commenting privileges. Your membership helps keep our newsroom running and our writers writing. Support independent journalism that serves readers first!
