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WASHINGTON, Utah – Tyler Robinson, 22, has been identified as the suspected killer in Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination on a Utah college campus.
“We got him on the evening of Sept. 11,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced in a Friday morning news briefing.
“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.”
TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION
Background and upbringing
Since-deleted Facebook posts, viewed by Fox News Digital, paint a picture of Robinson’s life in Washington County, Utah, filled with family milestones, birthdays and school achievements.
Steven Dunham, director of communications for the Washington County School District, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Robinson was a student in the district from 2008 to May 2021, attending Pine View Middle School and Pine View High School.
By 2021, Robinson was shown moving into Utah State University (USU), with photos outside the Richard and Moonyeen Anderson Engineering Building.
In a statement to Fox News from USU, the public university said: “Utah State University confirms that Tyler Robinson, the suspect arrested in the killing of Charlie Kirk, briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021.”
“We can also confirm that he was a pre-engineering major and took classes consistent with that major for his one semester,” the school added.
PERSON OF INTEREST IN CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION PICTURED IN PHOTOS RELEASED BY FBI
Investigation and arrest
At a news conference, Cox outlined the timeline leading to Robinson’s arrest.
The information was passed to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, investigators at Utah Valley University (UVU) and the FBI.
Surveillance and identification
Investigators said surveillance video showed Robinson arriving at UVU in a gray Dodge Challenger around 8:29 a.m. on Sept. 10, shortly before the shooting. A family member later confirmed to authorities that Robinson owned a vehicle matching that description.
“He is observed on video in a plain maroon T-shirt, light colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light colored shoes,” Cox said.
Fox News Digital captured a grey Dodge Challenger parked in the driveway of Robinson’s family home in Washington, Utah.
Witness statements
Family members told investigators Robinson had “become more political in recent years.”
“The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to Sept. 10,” Cox said. “In that conversation, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had.”
Investigators also spoke with Robinson’s roommate.
“Investigators interviewed that roommate who stated that his roommate, referring to Robinson, made a joke on Discord,” Cox explained. “The content of these messages included… a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point… messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left… engraving bullets… and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel.”
Weapon recovered
The investigation led to the recovery of a rifle north of UVU’s Campus Drive Road, where authorities found a rifle wrapped in a “dark-colored towel.”
“The rifle was determined to be a Mauser Model 98 .36 caliber bolt action rifle,” Cox said. “The rifle had a scope mounted on top of it. Investigators noted inscriptions that had been engraved on casings found with the rifle.”
Governor: Robinson family ‘did the right thing’
Cox credited law enforcement and the public with swiftly closing in on Robinson.
“We are indebted to law enforcement across the state,” he said. “We’re grateful for everyone who worked together in such a short amount of time to find this person and to bring justice.”
WATCH: Utah governor details arrest of Tyler Robinson for Charlie Kirk’s murder
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK
The Republican governor thanked Robinson’s family members for doing the “right thing.”
“I want to thank the public who has been so engaged reviewing videos, helping us with sending in tips and helping us get to this point,” Cox said. “I want to thank the family members of Tyler Robinson who did the right thing in this case and were able to bring him in to law enforcement as well.”
Cox also offered condolences to Kirk’s loved ones, saying: “I especially want to thank the family of Charlie Kirk — Erika, Charlie’s parents, his two young children.
“This is a very sad day for our country, a terrible day for the state of Utah,” Cox said. “But I’m grateful that at this moment, we have an opportunity to bring closure to this very dark chapter in our nation’s history.”
