Shortly after Donald Trump announced that Charlie Kirk's assassin had been captured, Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox and FBI Director Kash Patel held a press conference.
Cox said Tyler Robinson, 22, is suspected of killing Kirk. The man was found after a family member contacted a family friend after the shooting, who contacted police and told them Robinson had confessed or implied that he had committed the shooting.
AP sources say Robinson's father recognized his son in photos released by authorities and persuaded him to turn himself in. The father spoke to a pastor who helped Robinson contact police.
A family member of Robinson told police that the man had become increasingly politically active in recent times. Before the shooting, he told them that"hate-filled" Kirk was coming to Utah.
Cox also said that video footage identified Robinson as arriving near the scene of the attack in a Dodge Challenger on Wednesday morning, four hours before the attack. The gun recovered by investigators was a .30-06 caliber Mauser with a scope mounted on top. They also found ammunition. One was engraved with the words"Hey, fascist! Catch me!" and the other with the words "If you're reading this, you're gay LMAO."
Kash Patel said Robinson was taken into custody at 10 p.m. Thursday in St. George, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the scene of the attack. Patel also thanked Donald Trump.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck on Wednesday at a university event in Utah, where he was answering a student question about trans shooters. The 31-year-old was taken to a hospital but died a short time later.
