The person accused of shooting Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk dead in Utah on Wednesday has been identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, officials announced at a Friday press conference.
A family friend reported Robinson to authorities on Thursday evening after Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, according to Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. A family member told authorities that Robinson had “become more political in recent years” and was “full of hate,” Cox said. The family member allegedly recalled a conversation when Robinson talked about Kirk’s plans to come speak at UVU and how much Robinson disliked him.
Law enforcement officials previously referred to the suspect as a male “of college age.” The shooter arrived at a building near the campus shortly after 11:50 a.m., climbed a stairwell to the rooftop, shot Kirk and fled to a neighborhood, they said. Authorities found a high-powered rifle from the shooting in a wooded area.
Engravings in bullet casings from the rifle contained a series of phrases such as “Hey fascist! Catch!” and “If you read this you are gay LMAO,” according to Cox. Investigators also noticed the phrase “bella ciao,” Cox said. The phrase matches the name of an Italian song that became a left-wing anthem during World War II, according to George Mason University.
Officials also released a mug shot of Robinson on Friday.
Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while sitting under a tent and debating students about transgender mass shooters during an outdoor TPUSA event. Authorities initially arrested two people of interest in the case but found they had no ties to the shooting, though the first was charged with obstruction by campus police, state and federal officials said. The university had six campus police officers assigned to protect the event with Kirk’s private security team among a crowd of around 3,000 attendees.
The 31-year-old conservative activist’s death prompted outrage against rising political violence in America, with President Donald Trump calling out divisive left-wing messaging hours later.
“For years, those on the American left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” Trump said. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Kirk leaves behind a wife, Erika, a daughter and a son.
This is a breaking news story and it will be updated.
