Utah Governor Spencer Cox on Friday confirmed that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is the prime suspect in the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University.
Cox said Robinson was identified after he allegedly confessed or implied involvement in the shooting during a conversation with a family friend, who then alerted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The information was passed on to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and investigators at Utah Valley University.
Investigators also interviewed a family member of Robinson, who noted that he had become “more political in recent years.” The relative recalled a dinner conversation before September 10 in which Robinson mentioned Kirk’s upcoming visit to UVU, adding that Kirk was “full of hate and spreading hate.”
President Donald Trump, reacting to the development, told reporters, “I think we have him. I think that with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody.”
Kirk’s killing has sent shockwaves through conservative circles, with authorities continuing their probe into Robinson’s motives and background.
