The suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk is in police custody after a two-day manhunt.
The right-wing influencer, 31, was fatally shot on Wednesday afternoon while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University’s campus in Orem.
The suspect has been named as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old man from Washington in Utah. He is due to appear in court to face charges on Tuesday.
Here’s what we know about him so far:
How was the suspect caught?
Utah’s Republican governor Spencer Cox said a member of Robinson’s family reached out to a friend, who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that he “had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident”.
According to NBC News, the relative in question is his father – and he then went to a church minister he knew, who contacted a local sheriff.
President Donald Trump told Fox News “the father convinced the son,” to hand himself in, adding that they then “drove into the police headquarters, and he’s there now”.
According to reports, the father realised his son may have been involved after seeing the images released by the FBI.
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Robinson “had become more political in recent years”, Mr Cox said, citing the FBI, and, at a dinner before the shooting, he had mentioned Mr Kirk’s upcoming visit to Utah Valley University.
The Utah governor claimed Robinson had been critical of Mr Kirk and that he was “full of hate and spreading hate”.
“He does come from a conservative family, but his ideology was very different than his family,” Mr Cox told NBC’s Meet The Press, adding in a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal that he had been “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology”.
Mr Cox claimed in the Meet The Press interview on Sunday that Robinson was in a relationship with his roommate – who was in the process of transitioning.
“The roommate was a romantic partner,” he told the broadcaster. “We can confirm that that roommate is a boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female.”
Mr Kirk often expressed anti-LGBTQ views, but the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, and officials have not said whether Robinson’s relationship – or his roommate’s gender – is relevant to their investigation.
Mr Cox added that the roommate has been “incredibly cooperative” with the FBI and had “no idea that this [the shooting] was happening”, whereas Robinson has not been cooperating with officials.
He said he was taken into custody in Washington County, southern Utah, around a three to four-hour drive from Orem, where his family lived.
What else do we know about Robinson?
Sky News has now verified what appear to be school records posted in 2020 by his mother, which show a 4.0 average – a very high score, akin to straight As in the UK.
“This boy is a genius,” she added.
NBC reports that he is a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship programme at Dixie Technical College in St George, Utah.
A spokesperson for Utah Valley University, where the shooting happened, said he studied there for one semester in 2021.
A family neighbour, Kristin Schwiermann, described Robinson as “smart,” “quiet,” and said he “never caused any problems.”
What weapon did the gunman use?
Bullet casing found by investigators were engraved with messages. One read “Hey fascist! Catch!”, another said “oh bella ciao ciao bella ciao ciao ciao” (which is thought to refer to an antifascist song).
The gun was found after the shooting in a wooded area where the gunman had fled, according to FBI agent Robert Bohls. It is described as a high-powered bolt action rifle.
Investigators collected a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis.
Firearms consultant David Dyson told Sky News that, based on the range from where they are believed to have fired, the gunman would likely need to be a somewhat skilled target shooter.
But he suggested that while the shot may be difficult for anyone without experience, it’s “not a great range” for someone with practice.
Read more:
What we know about the killing – through maps and videos
Who was Charlie Kirk? The MAGA influencer ‘admired’ by Trump
Pictures and footage released by the FBI
Mr Cox also said that the suspect changed clothes on campus.
He said footage “first spotted” him with one outfit on, which he allegedly changed while on the roof of a building.
Mr Cox said he then “changed back into that clothing at some point” – meaning the first outfit.
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All this meant, the governor said, that when he was arrested, the suspect was wearing the same clothes he had on before the shooting.
Before news of his capture came in, the FBI had released images of a “person of interest” in the shooting, later revealed to be Robinson, showing him wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a backpack.
They also released video footage of him fleeing after the incident, where he could be seen walking on the roof of the building from where the fatal shot was fired.
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He was then seen climbing down and heading toward a wooded area, where police say he abandoned his rifle.
The first description of the suspect came from a police officer on her radio shortly after the shooting, who said he was “wearing jeans, black shirt, black mask, long rifle”.
Beau Mason, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, later said he “appears to be of college age” and that he “blended in well with a college institution”.
Robinson set to be charged with aggravated murder
Robinson is being held without bail and is due to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday, where he will likely be charged.
The state charges will be aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Utah officials previously said they were going to seek the death penalty for Charlie Kirk’s suspected gunman.
