FBI reveal how they captured Charlie Kirk murder suspect as they disclose who tipped them off
The FBI has detailed the events that led to a suspect being arrested for the shooting of US activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
The agency conducted a press conference today (September 12), to announce that they had apprehended the suspect identified as Tyler Robinson, following two days of searching.
The news came after Kirk, a controversial political commentator and father-of-two, was killed while speaking at an event organized by his company, Turning Point USA, on Wednesday (September 10).
Authorities appealed for help in identifying the shooter after a suspect was seen on a rooftop of a nearby building on the Utah campus.
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In the press conference, Utah Governor Spencer Cox began by telling audiences: "We got him."
Detailing how the FBI made its arrest, Cox explained that it had received a tip which stemmed from a family member of Robinson, who had reached out to a family friend who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
According to Cox, the tipster shared information that 'Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident'.
Investigators also interviewed a family member of Robinson who claimed that the suspect had become 'more political' in recent years.
They recalled one particular incident which took place before the September 10 shooting, when Robinson had joined the family member for dinner and engaged in a conversation in which Robinson mentioned Kirk was due to come to Utah Valley University.
"They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had," Cox said.
Authorities were further able to link Robinson to the case after reviewing video footage which showed the suspect arriving to the scene of the shooting in a Dodge Challenger vehicle at approximately 08:29 local time on September 10.
The suspect could be seen wearing a 'plain maroon t-shirt, light-coloured shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light-coloured shoes'.
When Robinson was confronted by investigators on September 12, he was found to be wearing clothing consistent with that seen in the footage.
Cox expressed his thanks to law enforcement, the FBI and members of the public for helping with the investigation, and praised the family members of Robinson for having done 'the right thing' by alerting police.
"I especially want to thank the family of Charlie Kirk," he said. "I want us to be thinking of them as we bring justice to this case."
If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence, please find more information and support via Survivors Empowered on their website.
Emily Brown