The man in custody for the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Tyler Robinson, is described as a former gifted student who had recently become more political and voiced a disdain for Kirk.“We got him,” Governor Spencer Cox of Utah said at a news conference on Friday morning.Mr. Cox said that Mr. Robinson had discussed his dislike for Kirk during a dinner in the days before the shooting. He reportedly said that “Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”Mr. Cox said Mr. Robinson confessed to the killing to his father, Matthew Robinson, who reached out to a family friend, reportedly a minister in their church. The minister alerted authorities and Mr. Robinson’s father escorted him to Orem, where he was arrested and booked into the Utah County jail.It is unclear if Mr. Robinson has given a confession to the killing to authorities.Tyler Robinson was well trained on weapons. Via XMr. Cox also disclosed details of the markings that had been engraved on ammunition found along with the rifle believed to be used in the killing. One inscription on a fired bullet casing read: “notices bulges OWO what’s this?” This apparently references an online meme that parodies roleplay subcultures. The OWO is an emoticon often used to represent wide-eyed curiosity.An inscription on one of the three unfired casings read, “Hey fascist! Catch!” with an up arrow symbol, a right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols. Three Arrows is believed to reference a political symbol that originated in Germany in the 1930s. The Social Democratic Party of Germany adopted it as a sign of resistance to Nazism. Those symbols are also believed to be connected to the videogame “Helldivers 2.” That code is used to drop a large bomb on enemies.Tyler Robinson is seen wearing the same Converse All Stars in his dorm room as in the surveillance photos released by the FBI. Via XA second unfired casing has “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao” inscribed on it. Those are lyrics from an anti-fascist anthem sung by the Italian resistance members who were fighting Benito Mussolini and the Nazis during World War II.The third unfired casing had inscribed: “If you read this you are gay, lmao.”Mr. Robinson’s roommate was interviewed by authorities. He turned over Discord messages attributed to Mr. Robinson. In one, Mr. Robinson stated that he needed to get a rifle from a drop point and in another spoke about leaving the gun in a bush, Mr. Cox said. Authorities found the rifle wrapped in a towel.Another message attributed to Mr. Robinson mentioned engraving bullets and “a mention of a scope and the rifle being unique messages,” Mr. Cox said. One also discussed him saying he had to change outfits.Tyler Robinson’s booking photo. Via XOther details about Mr. Robinson are emerging. Information shared on X showed him reading a letter letting him know he had received a full scholarship to attend Utah State University. He attended the school for only one semester in 2021 and was living back in his parents’ home.Mr. Robinson is now a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George. The school said it couldn’t provide any additional information due to federal student privacy laws.A Facebook page linked to Mr. Robinson’s mother showed what appears to be an ACT score that would have put Mr. Robinson in the top 1 percent of all test takers, USA Today reported.A young Tyler Robinson with a rifle. Via XAmber Robinson’s posts indicate that he is the oldest of three sons. Another of her posts showed him wearing a Trump-related Halloween costume in 2017, according to the paper.Other posts show Mr. Robinson and his brothers holding guns, which is not uncommon in Utah, Reuters reported.Mr. Robinson’s father, who is a deputy with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, also owns a kitchen countertop business, the Independent reported.Mr. Robinson’s grandmother described him as a quiet and reserved young man who never spoke about politics. “My son, his dad, is a Republican for Trump,” Debbie Robinson told the Daily Mail. “Most of my family members are Republican. I don’t know any single one who’s a Democrat.”Neighbors told the paper that the family was close and they were active Mormons, the predominant religion in the state.A woman who lives two-doors down, Kristin Schwiermann, says she crossed paths with the family at church and school events and described Mr. Robinson as “very quiet,” with just a few friends. “I think he was more on the musical side, very smart,” Ms. Schwiermann said.A collage of photos of the Robinson family on social media. Via XMr. Robinson’s last voter registration was in 2021, and his political party is “none declared,” NBC News reported. His parents are both registered Republicans, according to multiple reports. About half of Utah voters are Republican and a quarter have no party affiliation.Another post appeared to show Mr. Robinson wearing the same Converse sneakers the suspect was wearing in images that the FBI released.Mr. Robinson is expected to face state charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice. Mr. Cox says it is believed that Mr. Robinson acted alone but the investigation is continuing. Federal charges against Mr. Robinson are also being considered.“I’m grateful that, at this moment, we have an opportunity to bring closure to this very dark chapter in our nation’s history,” Mr. Cox said.President Trump had announced a suspect was in custody earlier in the morning. In a “Fox and Friends” interview he said that he wanted the death penalty in the case.Mr. Trump said he heard about Kirk’s killing from an aide during a meeting with architects working on the ballroom addition to the White House.Tyler Robinson pictured with his father, Matthew Robinson, who surrendered his son to authorities. Via X“I didn’t know what they meant. They said he was dead. Charlie Kirk was shot. They thought he was dead because it was so horrific, you know? And I said, ‘Dead?’ I just told these people — get out, just go,” Mr. Trump recounted.Mr. Trump says he didn’t watch the video of Kirk’s shooting. “I didn’t want to remember Charlie that way,” he said. “It’s horrific is what I hear — just horrific.”Investigators had been hunting for the shooter since Kirk’s killing on Wednesday.The FBI offered a $100,000 reward in the case on Thursday and released images of a “person of interest” in connection with the case. They show a young person wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt with an American flag on the front, sunglasses, and a baseball cap. The person is seen walking up stairs and appears to be wearing jeans and sneakers.A video released Thursday showed the suspect running across a roof after the shooting and jumping down and escaping off campus.Vice President JD Vance escorted Kirk’s body to Phoenix on Air Force Two on Thursday. Kirk lived in Arizona and his Turning Point USA organization is based there.
