Who Is Tyler Robinson? Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Identified

2025-9-11 17:39| 发布者: John| 查看: 18| 评论: 0|原作者: Mandy Taheri and Joshua Rhett Miller|来自: Newsweek

摘要: Authorities have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect in Wednesday's fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, and say he is in custody, ending a nationwide manhunt fol ...

Authorities have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect in Wednesday's fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, and say he is in custody, ending a nationwide manhunt following the assassination.

Robinson had "become more political in recent years," Utah Governor Spencer Cox said during a Friday press conference. A family member told officials that Robinson came to dinner in September and "mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to [Utah Valley University]."

"This is certainly about the tragic death and assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk. But it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals," Cox said to the public.

The governor confirmed that Robinson "was not a student here at UVU" and was "living and has been living for some time with his family in Washington County."

Since midday Wednesday, authorities had been searching for the shooter, who jumped from a roof and fled after firing at Kirk, according to the FBI. Prior to Robinson's arrest, two people were briefly detained and then released on Wednesday.

Officials received over 11,000 leads and tips on the matter, FBI Director Kash Patel said during a Friday press conference.

Tyler Robinson Mugshot
Mugshot of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, released. Utah Governor's Office

Why It Matters
Kirk was the co-founder and executive director of Turning Point USA, a prominent conservative campus organization. He was a frequent political commentator, often speaking on college campuses and hosting media programs and conferences, as well as being a close ally of President Donald Trump.

The shooting comes amid a broader climate of political violence across the U.S. In June, Minnesota Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in a targeted political act.

Lawmakers and prominent figures across the aisle have condemned the violence, including members of the Trump administration as well as many Democrats. Trump has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff "in honor of Charlie Kirk" until 6 p.m. Sunday. The fatal attack has raised concerns about campus public-safety protocols, political violence, gun control and free speech.

On Friday morning, authorities publicly identified Robinson, a Utah local, as the suspected shooter, noting that they took him into custody on Thursday night.

On the evening of September 11, a family member of Robinson reached out to a friend who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office with "information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident."

Authorities noted that Robinson arrived on campus in a Dodge Challenger around 8:30 a.m. on September 10. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason had described the suspect on Thursday as someone who "blended in well with the college institution."

Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah, confirmed in a Friday statement that Robinson is a "third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program." The school is near where his family lives. Utah State University also confirmed that Robinson "briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021."

In 2021, Robinson graduated from Pine View High School in St. George, Utah, school district officials confirmed Friday to Newsweek.

tyler robinson
Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, in a photo posted to Facebook in August 2021. Facebook

Robinson changed clothes during the incident, appearing in a different outfit on the roof and on the ground.

Investigators interviewed a roommate of Robinson, who showed authorities Discord messages that discussed hiding a rifle and engraving bullets. The account, reportedly associated with Robinson, stated the need to retrieve a rifle from a "drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush." They also mentioned wrapping the weapon up in a towel.

Tyler Robinson
A photo of Tyler Robinson posted on his mother, Amber Jones Robinson's, Facebook page. Facebook/Amber Jones Robinson

Before Robinson's arrest, investigators had found a high-powered, bolt-action rifle with a mounted scope along the suspected escape route. Investigators also found several unused casings with engravings, including one that read "Hey fascist! Catch."

Trump first said Friday morning during a live interview on Fox & Friends that the individual was turned in by his father and that law enforcement officials would confirm the arrest later in the day.

The FBI's Salt Lake City field office released photos of the suspect on Thursday and asked the public for help identifying him.

Robinson is the third person of interest to have been taken into custody in relation to the shooting. The other two were released shortly after being questioned on Wednesday. The Associated Press reported that state and federal records did not reveal any prior criminal history.

According to voting records reviewed by Newsweek, Robinson is politically unaffiliated, and his voting status is inactive, meaning he "has not voted in two regular general elections and has failed to respond to a notice sent to them by the county clerk."

Tyler Robinson's Family

Newsweek identified Robinson's mother as Amber Jones Robinson. She has posted several photos of her family, including Tyler, on her personal Facebook page. According to her Facebook page, she attended the University of Utah and is a social worker.

In a 2017 post, she shared a photo of Tyler in a Halloween costume, in which he appears to be on top of a figure resembling Trump.

Facebook Screenshot — A screenshot of Amber Jones Robinson's Facebook post from 2017 showing Tyler Robinson in a Halloween costume. Facebook/Amber Jones Robinson

In August 2020, Amber Robinson also posted about Tyler's intelligence, sharing his high test scores.

She and Tyler visited Utah State University in 2021. "It was great to get some one on one time with this boy," she wrote on Facebook about the trip. "Plus Aggie ice cream! I didn't know that was a thing, but it's great!"