By GERMANIA RODRIGUEZ POLEO, US CHIEF REPORTER and SHAWN COHEN and NATASHA ANDERSON, SENIOR US NEWS REPORTER
The suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination became ‘more political’ in recent years and spoke about disliking the conservative activist’s ideas, officials said on Thursday.
The suspect was named as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, from Washington, Utah.
Robinson was turned into police overnight by his father and a minister in southern Utah after authorities shared images of the shooter, law enforcement sources told Daily Mail.
The suspect’s arrest came after Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox pleaded with the public to help find the person who shot 31-year-old Kirk dead while he spoke to students at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
During a news conference Thursday with FBI Director Kash Patel, authorities showed a video of a person being sought in connection with the killing racing across the roof of the building where the shot was fired, dropping down to the ground and fleeing into the woods, from where investigators have found a high-powered rifle.
The FBI was offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Kirk’s killer, who they believe to be a man of college age.
Charlie Kirk’s assassin motive revealed
Robinson had become more political in recent years, officials said.
‘In the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,’ the governor said.
The suspect reportedly talked about disliking Charlie Kirk at a recent dinner with family, where he mentioned the conservative was coming to Utah, authorities said.
Robinson allegedly said at the dinner that ‘Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.’
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.’
Daily Mail releases bombshell podcast series explaining the assassination of Charlie Kirk
The Daily Mail has released the first episode of a bombshell podcast series unraveling the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The podcast, which is available on all podcast platforms and YouTube, will delve into the shooting at Utah Valley University on Wednesday that has stunned the nation.
Turning Point USA honors late founder
Turning Point USA paid tribute to Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated at an event earlier this week.
Kirk, who had millions of social media followers, co-founded the non-profit Turning Point USA in 2012 as a teenager, which he dubbed a ‘national student movement.’
Its mission is to ‘identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.’
Turning Point and Kirk have played a starring role in Republican politics ever since he enthusiastically backed Trump in 2016.
Kirk was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention as well as the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC.
Breaking:Charlie Kirk shooter’s charges revealed
Tyler Robinson was arrested in Charlie Kirk’s shooting and is expected to soon be formally charged.
He faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC News.
FBI director’s emotional message to Charlie Kirk
FBI director Kash Patel paid tribute to Charlie Kirk during a Friday morning press conference where he announced the activist’s suspected killer had been taken into custody.
‘To my friend, Charlie Kirk: Rest now, brother. We have the watch. And I’ll see you in Valhalla,’ he said in the somber message.
Vance praises FBI, local police for ‘hard work’ in Kirk case
Vice President JD Vance has issued another statement, praising Utah Governor Spencer Cox, state law enforcement, Kash Patel and the FBI for apprehending Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer.
‘This is a big breakthrough, and everyone who helped – from the law enforcement professionals to the people giving tips – deserves our credit and gratitude,’ Vance said of Tyler Robinson’s arrest.
‘In some ways, the investigation is still in the early days. But I do believe we have the shooter in custody.’
Vance urged America to say a prayer for Kirk’s widow Erika and their two children.
‘We took a big step this morning in getting justice for Charlie, and for his family. Thanks be to God for that,’ the vice president added.
Inspiring bravery of Charlie Kirk’s devastated widow Erika as she waves to supporters
Erika Kirk, née Frantzve, was dressed in all black and wearing sunglasses as she arrived in Arizona on Thursday evening after her husband’s body was flown back from Utah on Air Force Two.
Erika, 36, was greeted by a crowd of mourners waving American flags as a motorcade escorted her to the chapel.
Utah governor urges supporters not to ‘rage’
Utah Governor Spencer urged Charlie Kirk’s supporters not to ‘rage’ in response to his assassination.
‘You are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option,’ Cox said Friday morning.
But Cox reminded young activists to allow police to do their jobs.
‘There is one person responsible for what happened here, and that person is now in custody and will be charged soon and will be held accountable,’ he added.
Cox also encouraged young people to embrace their differences and engage in ‘hard conversations’.
Charlie Kirk suspect’s mugshot released
Police have released Tyler Robinson’s mugshot.
Robinson, 22, had become ‘more political’ in the run-up to the shooting and had indicated to a family friend afterwards that he was responsible.
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.
Breaking:‘We got him,’ says Utah governor or Kirk ‘assassin’
‘We got him,’ said Utah governor Spencer Cox on Friday morning.
‘On the evening of September 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 said it was a relative of suspect Tyler Robinson who turned him in overnight.
Everything we know about Charlie Kirk ‘assassin’ Tyler Robinson’s parents
The parents of Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin Tyler Robinson are a law enforcement veteran and a care worker.
The father then contacted authorities and secured his son before he could be taken into custody.
His mother, Amber Robinson, works for Intermountain Support Coordination Services, a company contracted by the state of Utah to help disabled people receive care.
WATCH: Charlie Kirk assassination suspect celebrates Utah college scholarship
The man arrested in connection to the Charlie Kirk murder was seen on a video posted to social media celebrating a scholarship for Utah State University.
Tyler Robinson, 22, read a letter informing him of the $32,000 ‘presidential scholarship’ on a video posted to Facebook in March, 2021.
Officials said on Friday Robinson was arrested overnight after his family turned him in.
Who are Charlie Kirk’s parents?
The grieving parents of slain MAGA firebrand Charlie Kirk clung to each other in anguish as they came face-to-face with their son’s mahogany coffin on Thursday.
Vance then led members of the National Guard in carrying the coffin up the steps of Air Force Two at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base.
Student who was asking Charlie Kirk question when he was assassinated speaks out
The Utah Valley University student who was challenging Charlie Kirk on mass shootings at the very moment the conservative firebrand was gunned down says he is still reeling from the horror.
Hunter Kozak, a father of two, posted an emotional Instagram video admitting it has been ‘a rough 24 hours’ as he tries to process the assassination he witnessed.
‘It’s a tragedy,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to grapple with.’
Who is Charlie Kirk murder suspect Tyler Robinson?
Robinson was named Friday as the alleged assassin of Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative influencer and ally of Donald Trump who was shot and killed during a rally at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Sources told CNN that the killer confessed to his father, who then contacted authorities and secured his son before he could be taken into custody. The New York Times reported that the suspect was taken into custody around 11pm local time in Utah on Thursday night.
The suspect’s father, Matt Robinson, is a cop.
His mother, Amber Robinson, works for Intermountain Support Coordination Services, a company contracted by the state of Utah to help disabled people receive care.
The alleged shooter lived in a $600,000 six-bedroom home in Washington, Utah – around 260 miles south of where the carnage unfolded in Orem.
Moment Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika holds hands with Usha Vance on his final journey
Usha Vance held hands with Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika in a heartfelt gesture as they deplaned Air Force Two, which carried the right-wing influencer’s casket from Utah to Arizona.
Usha and Erika were dressed in all black and wearing sunglasses as they somberly walked off the aircraft with JD Vance trailing behind.
Erika, 36, kept her gaze down as she stepped off the aircraft, as Usha put her arm around the grieving mother-of-two, seemingly to guide her down the stairs.
WATCH: President Trump shares details of suspect’s arrest
Officials to update the public shortly
State and federal officials in Utah are planning to hold a news conference at 9am ET on the investigation.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason, FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls are expected to attend.
How Charlie Kirk assassin vanished into thin air
The gunman who killed Charlie Kirk on Wednesday vanished almost entirely after the shot, forcing the FBI to admit they are stumped in their manhunt for the killer.
Video footage shared over the last two days has begun to map how a suspect seen running over rooftops at Utah Valley University managed to climb down before reappearing in a residential neighbourhood and disappearing again.
Authorities have suggested that his escape method suggests that he is athletic and physically fit as they try to build up a profile.
Breaking:Charlie Kirk assassination suspect identified as Tyler Robinson, 22
Robinson was named Friday as the alleged assassin of Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative influencer and ally of Donald Trump who was shot and killed during a rally at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Charlie Kirk suspect ‘confessed to his father’
Law enforcement sources told Daily Mail that the suspect in custody for the Charlie Kirk murder confessed to his father before he was taken into custody overnight.
Charlie Kirk’s wife left behind with two young children after conservative activist is killed
In a post to her account Erika Kirk, nee Frantzve, shared a Bible reference from Psalm 46:1 saying: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’
Kirk, a conservative political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was gunned down on Wednesday while speaking at a university event in Utah.
Trump says there is a suspect in custody, wants killer to get the death penalty
President Donald Trump said on Fox News there is a suspect in custody in the Charlie Kirk assassination probe.
‘I think with a high-degree of certainty, we have him,’ the president said on Friday morning, adding the suspect’s father turned him.
‘It was a minister, and the minister went to a friend – a minister who’s involved in law enforcement, by the way, and his good friend is a top US marshal, and they took it from there and then it was a father got involved,’ the president said.
Trump added that he hopes the suspect gets the death penalty if convicted.
‘In Utah you have death penalty, and a good governor there, I have gotten to know him. The governor is intent on the death penalty in this case and he should be,’ he said.
The FBI and Justice Department did not immediately comment, but a news conference in Utah, where the killing took place on a college campus Wednesday, planned a news conference for later in the morning.
Dave Portnoy says Trump played a huge part in Charlie Kirk’s death
Dave Portnoy believes the divisiveness of Donald Trump played a huge role in the death of Charlie Kirk, after he fumed over the ‘insane’ rhetoric of America’s left wing that led to his assassination.
And as well as branding the rhetoric of the left ‘insane’, the Barstool founder and president explained why he believes Trump’s polarizing nature contributed to Kirk’s death.
Where does the Kirk murder investigation stand?
A palm print, a shoe impression, and a high-powered rifle found in a wooded area are among the clues authorities have highlighted in their investigation.
Law enforcement agents pleaded for the public’s help to find the person who assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk before dropping from a Utah university campus roof and vanishing.
More than 7,000 leads and tips have poured in. The search continued early Friday nearly two days after the deadly shooting.
As the manhunt stretched on, the FBI and other law enforcement bodies appear to be making slow progress in tracking the assailant down.
Meanwhile, no official suggestion has been made about the motive.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox speaks at a press conference, near FBI Director Kash Patel, at the Utah Valley University
Surveillance footage shows suspect jumping off roof
Newly-released surveillance footage shows the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination running across the roof of a building on campus.
Once he reaches the edge, the suspect climbs down and jumps onto the ground.
Authorities are now asking the public to be on the lookout for the suspect, noting he had a distinctive t-shirt and a baseball cap with a triangle on it.
‘We cannot do our job without the public’s help right now,’ Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at a news conference Thursday night, adding that authorities have already received over 7,000 tips and have conducted more than 200 interviews.