The two-day nationwide manhunt for the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk has ended — and the details are chilling.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed Friday that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was taken into custody, just hours after former President Donald Trump himself told Fox News, “We got him.”
Robinson, described by investigators as a once high-achieving student turned “angry and political,” allegedly opened fire on Kirk, 31, during his speech at Utah Valley University, killing him in front of a stunned crowd of 3,000.
Who is the suspect?
Robinson grew up in southern Utah in a well-off family, was a top student, and even scored in the 99th percentile on national exams. But according to relatives, he had grown “full of hate” when talking about Kirk in recent years. His social media activity reportedly revealed anti-fascist memes and bizarre coded engravings on ammunition.
Investigators recovered a Mauser .30-06 bolt-action rifle, wrapped in a towel and abandoned in nearby woods. Shell casings engraved with cryptic meme-like messages — including “Bella Ciao” and “If you read this, you are gay LMAO” — left authorities stunned.
How was he caught?
Family members reportedly tipped off authorities after Robinson either confessed or implied his role in the shooting. Surveillance footage later confirmed he arrived on campus in his Dodge Challenger before fleeing the scene.
The FBI said the tip was the breakthrough after 11,000 public leads and more than 200 witness interviews.
Trump reacts
Speaking just minutes after the arrest, Trump praised Kirk as “like a son” and called for the death penalty. He described the late activist as a “brilliant, fine young man” who helped energize a new generation of conservatives.
What happens next?
Robinson is being held on aggravated murder charges, with prosecutors already signaling they’ll seek the death penalty. Federal charges are also possible.
Meanwhile, conservatives across the country are calling Kirk’s assassination a “watershed moment in American history”.
Governor Cox issued a stark warning: “Do we escalate, or do we find an off-ramp? That’s the choice before us.”
