Charlie Kirk’s Killer Caught: Trump Reveals Suspect Turned In by Family
Tyler Robinson held for Kirk’s shooting, Trump confirms.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the arrest of 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson in connection with the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Speaking on Fox & Friends, Trump stated with “a high degree of certainty” that the suspect was in custody, crediting a family member’s tip to law enforcement. “Somebody very close to him turned him in,” Trump said, noting that a minister and a U.S. Marshal facilitated Robinson’s surrender at a police station in southern Utah.
The shooting occurred on Wednesday during Kirk’s “Prove Me Wrong” debate, part of Turning Point USA’s “The American Comeback Tour.” Kirk, 31, was addressing a crowd of over 3,000 when a single shot from a Mauser 30-06 bolt-action rifle struck him in the neck, fired from the rooftop of the university’s Losee Center for Student Success. Video footage captured the chaos as Kirk collapsed, blood streaming from the wound, and spectators fled. The FBI recovered the rifle in a nearby wooded area, along with palm prints and shoe impressions believed to belong to the suspect.
A massive manhunt ensued, involving over 20 agencies and 7,000 public tips. Surveillance footage released by the FBI showed a suspect in his twenties, wearing a black baseball cap, sunglasses, Converse shoes, and a shirt with an American flag motif, fleeing across the rooftop into a nearby neighborhood. Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed Robinson’s arrest on Friday, noting that a family member reported Robinson after recognizing him in the released images.
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The incident has reignited debates over political violence, campus safety, and gun control. Kirk, a prominent conservative and Turning Point USA co-founder, was a close ally of Trump, who announced that Kirk would posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Vice President JD Vance, who accompanied Kirk’s body to Arizona, praised his role in mobilizing young conservatives and staffing the administration.
Trump, who survived an assassination attempt in 2024, initially pointed to “the radical left” but later called for calm, emphasizing Kirk’s advocacy for nonviolence. The FBI has not confirmed whether the $100,000 reward offered for information led to the arrest, but the swift resolution underscores the intensity of the investigation. As the nation mourns Kirk, the case highlights growing concerns over the safety of public figures in a polarized political climate.
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