Tyler Robinson: Killer of Charlie Kirk suspect confirmed by FBI as Tyler Robinson

The person accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been confirmed by the FBI as 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson.

“We got him,” announced Utah Governor Spencer Cox at a press conference on Friday morning in Utah.

“On the evening of September 11th a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who reached out to Washington County Sheriff’s office with information that Robinson had confessed to them, or implied that he had had committed the incident,” Governor Fox confirmed.

“The FBI identified Robinson arriving on UVU campus in a grey Dodge Challenger at approximately 8.29am on September 10th in which he is observed on video wearing a plain maroon t-shirt, light coloured shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light coloured shoes.”

Investigators interviewed a member of the man’s family, who said he had become more political in recent years. The person said Robinson recently told them that Kirk was coming to UVU and the pair discussed how they didn’t like Kirk and the viewpoints he held.

The shooting suspect was arrested last night, FBI Director Kash Patel said, thanking President Donald Trump, the federal government and the public for assistance.

“In 33 hours, we have made historic progress for Charlie,” Mr Patel said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed that inscriptions were found on the bullet casings belonging to Tyler Robinson. On one of three unfired casings read “hey fascist! Catch!”, a second read “oh bella ciao” and a third one read: “If you read this, you are gay, LMAO”.

President Donald Trump previously hinted at a family member being involved, announcing that the suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk is likely in custody and someone “very close to him turned him in.”

President Trump told FOX News that “with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” five minutes before he started his live interview.

“Somebody that was very close to him said, ‘Hmm, that’s him’,” Mr Trump said.

Asked to clarify, the President said “his father” got involved and said “we’ve got to go in.”

“They drove into the police headquarters, and he’s there now,” Mr Trump said.

President Trump added an announcement will be made later today.

He described Kirk as the “finest person,” who “didn’t deserve this,” and said he hoped the killer got the death penalty.

The President continued to eulogise Kirk, saying he was “like a son,” and “a brilliant guy,” who had helped him with TikTok, which helped him reach young voters.

“I’ve never seen young people go to one person like they did to Charlie,” he said.

Federal and local authorities said they had recovered the bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the attack and released images of ‘a person of interest.’

The FBI distributed grainy stills from security footage showing an individual dressed in black — wearing a long-sleeved shirt, dark sunglasses, and a baseball cap. The shirt appeared to display an image of a bald eagle flying across an American flag.

“What the FBI would have done is taken those videos and still footage and used a variety of analytical tools to match imagery, look at certain biometric markers and to try and identify that individual,” Chris Piehota, former FBI Assistant Director told the BBC.

Mr Kirk, a conservative author, podcast host, and close ally of Donald Trump, had played a major role in expanding the Republican Party’s appeal among young voters. He was hosting a live event titled “Prove Me Wrong” in front of an audience of 3,000 when the shooting occurred.

According to investigators, the suspect arrived on campus just minutes before the event began and used a stairwell to access a rooftop vantage point.

Security footage captured the movements prior to the single gunshot that killed Kirk as he answered an audience question about mass shootings.

The attack sparked widespread outrage and condemnation of political violence from Democrats, Republicans, and foreign leaders. Trump announced he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.

Mr Kirk, who was married and the father of two young children, was hailed by conservatives as a charismatic champion of right-wing positions on race, gender, immigration, religion, and gun rights.

Known for engaging directly with ideological opponents, Mr Kirk frequently invited critics — from both the far left and far right — to debate him in front of live audiences.