Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing identified as Utah resident Tyler Robinson, 'We got him'

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Friday morning identified the suspect in the fatal shooting earlier this week of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk as a 22-year-old resident Tyler Robinson.

"We got him," Cox said at a press conference two days after Kirk was shot in the neck by a long-range assassin at Utah Valley University, in the city of Orem.

Cox said authorities took Robinson into custody after a family member said that they reached out to a family friend, who contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office and said that Robinson confessed or implied he committed the shooting. Robinson was then found on surveillance footage at the university.

A family member said that Robinson didn't like the 31-year-old Kirk and his viewpoints, and said that "Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate."

Robinson's roommate showed authorities messages from Robinson regarding a rifle, and engravings on the bullets.

The governor said that there were inscriptions on casings found with the murder weapon, with one that said, "hey, fascist!" and "catch!"

Cox thanked Robinson's family for bringing him to the police and said that Robinson will be charged soon.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday that Kirk was shot at 12:23 p.m. local time on Wednesday, and FBI agents arrived at the scene at 12:39 p.m. He added that the suspect was taken into custody at 10 p.m. on Thursday, 33 hours after the shooting.