Here’s what we know about Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s murder
WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — A former straight-A student from Utah is accused of shooting and killing conservative influencer Charlie Kirk with a bullet inscribed with a niche online meme.
Those details emerged Friday, Sept. 12, after authorities announced the arrest of Tyler Robinson in Kirk’s slaying.
Robinson, 22, is accused of shooting Kirk in the neck during a public appearance at Utah Valley University, located in the city of Orem, on Sept. 10.
It’s not yet clear what changed in Robinson’s life leading up to the shooting, but family and friends said he had become more political and angry.
One of Robinson’s high school classmates, Xander Luke, said he “was politically active and outspoken about people’s rights.” The accused shooter “thought both political sides were contributing to a country being in a worse place and not improving the world,” Luke said.
The quiet street where Robinson lived with his parents is now the subject of intense scrutiny. Officers from the Washington City Police Department kept media and neighbors on the other side of the street.
Neighbors were largely tight-lipped about the family, but many of those who spoke with USA TODAY focused on the family’s faith – they are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are known as Mormons.
And that faith helped lead to Robinson’s capture.
A ‘minister’ and family members ‘who did the right thing’
President Donald Trump, who first announced the arrest, without naming Robinson, during a “Fox and Friends” interview on Sept. 12, said that a “person of faith” was involved with identifying the suspect.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters later in the morning that Robinson was taken into custody after a family member contacted a family friend, who then informed authorities that Robinson had “confessed to them or implied that he committed the incident.”
Cox said: “his family and a friend helped to deliver him into the custody of law enforcement in Washington County.” The governor thanked family members “who did the right thing in this case.” FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrest occurred at 10 p.m. local time on Sept. 11.
Authorities tied Robinson to the crime through a review of online messages, interviews with his family members and friends and surveillance video. The messages included some sent on Discord, a popular online chatting platform. In a statement to USA TODAY, Discord disputed statements that the messages were sent on the chatting platform.
The announcement came a day after law enforcement released several images as well as a video showing the alleged gunman’s leap from a rooftop after the Sept. 10 attack. The FBI recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon, a high-powered bolt-action rifle, and several imprints on the roof where the gunman fired the one fatal shot
The ‘quiet’ kid ‘became more political in recent years’
Robinson, who has no criminal history according to state records, attended high school in the neighboring city of St. George.
He is registered to vote, though he lacks a party affiliation. His parents are registered Republicans.
As of about 9 a.m. EDT on Sept. 12, the Facebook page for Tyler Robinson’s mother was filled with celebrations of her son’s milestones and accomplishments. The page depicted a tight-knit family where Tyler was the oldest of three sons. .
Longtime neighbor Robert Sylvester told USA TODAY that the Robinson brothers grew up playing throughout the neighborhood as other kids did, sometimes doing foot races down their residential street. Sylvester described him as “quiet.”
More: Visual timeline of Charlie Kirk shooting and manhunt for shooter
The family is shown on vacations to the Grand Canyon and on outdoor excursions like fishing trips and shooting days.
Tyler wore a Trump-related Halloween costume in 2017, according to Amber’s Robinson’s Facebook page.
In August 2020, Amber Robinson posted what appears to be an ACT college aptitude test score for Tyler – 34 out of 36 – that would place him in the top 1% of test takers, according to recent averages. He received a $32,000 scholarship to Utah State University, she said.
Kristin Schwiermann, who has lived two doors down for the last 16 years, said she has known the suspect’s family for decades. A head custodian with the Washington County School District, she said she watched the boys grow up and often crossed paths with the family at church and school events. “He was always very quiet, had just a few friends,” she said. “I think he was more on the musical side, very smart.”
The eldest Robinson son graduated from Pine View High School in St. George in 2021, according to Amber Robinson’s social media and video of the commencement ceremony on YouTube. He then “briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021,” the university said.
He later enrolled in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George. The Utah Board of Higher Education confirmed Sept. 12 that Robinson “is a third-year student” in the program.
