Featured Image Credit: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images
Topics: Charlie Kirk, US News, Crime, Donald Trump, Politics
James Moorhouse
Topics: Charlie Kirk, US News, Crime, Donald Trump, Politics
After an extensive search authorities believe they have now identified and caught the man responsible for killing Charlie Kirk, naming him as Tyler Robinson.
The 31-year-old was fatally shot during a talk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday 10 September as he started his American Comeback Tour, leaving behind his wife of four years Erika, as well as a three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son.
Kirk, who founded the conservative organisation Turning Point, was known for his fierce MAGA views and was a huge supporter of Donald Trump and his vice president JD Vance.
On Friday 12 September, it was confirmed by Trump that authorities had a man in custody, with the FBI issuing an appeal on Thursday with images of the suspect, and that man was later named as 22-year-old Robinson, a Utah resident.
Advert
Trump was the one to confirm that he was in custody, saying: "You know, getting somebody that you start off with absolutely nothing - and we started off with a clip that made him look like an ant - that was almost useless.
"We just saw somebody up there. And so much work has been done over the last two and a half days.
"You know, it's amazing really, when you start off with that and then all of a sudden you get lucky, or talent, or whatever it is."
Shortly after Robinson was named, authorities held a press conference, in which they explained exactly how they were able to land him in custody.
Advert
Authorities had sought the help of the general public through pictures and later videos of the alleged shooter, which included shots of him on a roof where it is believed he situated himself before taking the shot which ended Kirk's life.
Speaking at the conference, Governor of Utah Spencer Cox said: "Good morning ladies and gentleman. We got him. 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.
"This information was relayed to the Utah County Sheriff's Office and senior investigators at Utah Valley University. This information was also conveyed to the FBI.
"Investigators reviewed additional video footage from UVU surveillance and identified Robinson arriving on UVU campus in a grey Dodge Challenger at approximately 8.29am on September 10."
Advert
He goes on to explain that Robinson was spotted in the same clothing as he was seen in on the video footage.
The family member also confirmed that Robinson had become 'more political' in recent years and recounted an anecdote where Robinson spoke about his dislike for Kirk at the dinner table.
Cox also went on to suggest that Robinson's roommate was vital in the investigation, as he showed Discord messages to police where Robinson discussed leaving a bolt-action rifle in a bush, which is where the weapon was later found.
Kirk was answering a question about gun violence before he was shot, with the bullets that were used also allegedly containing messages which could point towards a potential motive for the murder.
Advert
Speaking to Fox News, Trump explained that he was in a meeting at the White House when he learned of the shooting, with the president later confirming that he had passed away with a post on Truth Social and ordering that American flags be flown at half mast as a tribute to the father-of-two.
He said: "They came in and they said, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’ I didn’t know what they meant. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?’
”‘Charlie Kirk was shot.’ And they thought it was dead because it was so horrific.”
“I just told these people, 'Get out, you gotta go.'”
The 79-year-old ordered for flags to be flown at half-mast following Kirk's death, with tributes also flooding in from other political leaders across the world.