OREM, Utah: A 22-year-old Utah man who was arrested and booked on murder charges in the killing of Charlie Kirk held deep disdain for the conservative activist’s provocative viewpoints and indicated to a family member that he was responsible for the shooting, authorities said on Friday (Sep 12).
The arrest of Tyler Robinson marked a major break in a case that shocked the country and raised fresh alarms about political violence in a deeply polarised United States.
“We got him,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox told a press conference after a 33-hour manhunt.
Robinson had become “more political” in the run-up to the shooting and mentioned during a dinner with family that Kirk would be visiting Utah, Cox said.
The Republican governor credited Robinson’s family with helping turn him over to authorities.
Robinson’s father recognised him from the photos released by the FBI and told him to turn himself in. Robinson refused at first, but then changed his mind, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
His father contacted their youth pastor, who also occasionally works with the US Marshals and called the agency so Robinson could turn himself in.
According to CNN, citing a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation, Robinson’s father urged his son to turn himself in after he confessed, to which the suspect responded: “I would rather kill myself than turn myself in.”
Robinson is believed to have acted alone, and the investigation is ongoing, Cox said. He was arrested on suspicion of capital murder, weapons and obstruction offences. He is expected to be formally charged on Tuesday ahead of an initial court appearance.
