Charlie Kirk: Everything We Know About Alleged Killer Tyler Robinson

Officials announced Friday morning that Tyler Robinson, the man suspected of killing conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, was arrested Thursday night. Here’s what we know so far about Robinson and his family. 

What is Tyler Robinson Accused Of?

Tyler Robinson is accused of killing conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his “American Comeback” tour. Kirk was answering a question about gun control when a shot rang out and struck him in the neck, killing him. Before his arrest, Tyler Robinson had no known criminal history. Tyler Robinson was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice.

Tyler Robinson Allegedly Confessed To His Parents That He Shot Charlie Kirk

CBS News reports that Tyler Robinson’s father, Matt Robinson, saw the images released of the suspect and immediately confronted his son. Tyler admitted to being the person in the pictures, at which point his father told Tyler to turn himself in. Tyler Robinson told his father he would rather kill himself than turn himself in. Matt called a youth pastor who was a family friend to come over and calm Tyler down. The pastor called the U.S. Marshals, who also arrived and detained Tyler Robinson. 

Investigators also said that Discord messages were discovered where Tyler allegedly wrote about hiding a rifle in the woods that was similar to the one used in the killing of Charlie Kirk. The gun used in Kirk’s killing was found wrapped in a wooded area. 

Tyler Robinson Is Not A Student At Utah Valley University

Tyler Robinson did not attend Utah Valley University. According to Newsweek, the university released a statement confirming that Robinson briefly attended Utah State for one semester. “Utah State University confirms that Tyler Robinson, the suspect arrested in the killing of Charlie Kirk, briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021,” the statement read. 

Family Members Say Tyler Robinson Became More Political In Recent Years

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said that investigators interviewed Tyler Robinson’s family members, who said he had become “more political” in recent years. During a recent family dinner, Robinson mentioned to family members that Charlie Kirk was going to UVU. He went on to explain why he didn’t like Charlie Kirk and said that he believed “Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.” 

Tyler Robinson Had No Political Affiliation 

While the narrative that’s been spun over the last few days is that this was a killing by a radical leftist, as of now, the facts don’t support that assessment. Tyler Robinson was a registered voter in Utah, but he claimed no political affiliation. While he allegedly killed Charlie Kirk, he also wore a Trump Halloween costume in 2017, making it difficult to draw a clear line on what political views he actually holds beyond his feelings about Charlie Kirk.

Tyler Robinson Comes From a Religious, Conservative Family 

Matt Robinson is a 27-year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and a registered Republican. His mother, Amber, is reportedly working for Intermountain Support Coordination Services, an organization that helps disabled people obtain proper care. The family’s neighbors told USA Today that the Robinson family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormon church. 

Tyler Robinson Was Apparently A Gamer 

During the press conference announcing Tyler Robinson’s capture, Gov. Cox also revealed that several memes were engraved on the bullets, one of which had “Up, left, down, down, down.” That is a stratagem for the Eagle 500 kg Bomb from the game Helldivers II, which has become a popular meme among gamers. The other memes written on the shell casing are regularly shared on internet gaming message boards. 

SEE ALSO:

Charlie Kirk Shot And Killed Answering Gun Violence Question

Charlie Kirk And The Cost Of US Gun Culture [Op-Ed]

After Charlie Kirk’s Killing, Why Are Black People Paying The Price?

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