- By Ajeet Kumar
- Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:17 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Who is Tyler Robinson: The suspect in custody in the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is named Tyler Robinson, 22, news agency Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the investigation on Friday. The major development came hours after US President Donald Trump confirmed in an interview that the suspect was arrested by the FBI. However, he neither disclosed his name and motive behind the killing.
Who is Tyler Robinson?
According to Reuters, the suspect had confessed to a family friend - or "implied that he had committed the murder" to that friend, and that person in turn had contacted the Washington County sheriff's office on Thursday. A family member interviewed by investigators said Robinson had become more political recently and spoke in a disparaging manner about Kirk, Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters.
NOW - Utah Governor Cox on Charlie Kirk's assassin, Tyler Robinson: "We got him!" Family said Tyler was saying Kirk was "'full of hate' and 'spreading hate.'" pic.twitter.com/R9aW5yi2Or
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 12, 2025
(Tyler Robinson)
Kirk's killer had eluded police and federal agents for about 33 hours after Wednesday's shooting, in which a sniper fired a single gunshot that killed Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, during an appearance at Utah Valley University. Previously, US investigators said they had found the bolt-action rifle believed to have been used to kill Kirk and released images of a person of interest.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Kirk, an author, podcast host and close ally of Trump, helped build the Republican Party's support among younger voters. Kirk was the co-founder and president of the conservative student group Turning Point USA and appeared at Utah Valley on Wednesday as part of a planned 15-event "American Comeback Tour" of US college campuses. Kirk had been speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point at Utah Valley University at the time of Wednesday's shooting. He was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead hours later.
His killing stirred outrage and denunciations of political violence from Democrats, Republicans and foreign governments. “He wanted to help young people, and he didn't deserve this,” Trump said Friday. “He was really a good person.”
Federal investigators and state officials on Thursday had released photos and a video of the person they believe is responsible. Kirk was shot as he spoke to a crowd gathered in a courtyard at the university in Orem.
(With inputs from agencies)