Utah Governor Spencer Cox has officially announced the arrest of Tyler Robinson, who investigators suspect of murdering conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. Cox also said that bullets found in a discarded rifle had messages engraved on them, some of which called Kirk a fascist. US President Donald Trump had previously said that Kirk's killer had been"very likely" caught.
"We got him," Cox said. He noted that a member of Robinson's family contacted a family friend, who in turn contacted the sheriff's office. Robinson's family did the right thing by contacting police, Cox said.
Cox also said that according to family testimony, Tyler Robinson had become increasingly interested in politics in recent years and that shortly before the murder, he had talked about Kirk performing at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, where the gunman killed Kirk with a single shot on Wednesday.
Tyler Robinson is the only person in custody in Kirk's murder case, and police do not expect any more arrests, but the investigation is ongoing, Cox said. Robinson, 22, was living in Utah with his family and was not a student at UVU, according to the AP.
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"One person is responsible for what happened. And that person is now in custody, will be charged soon and will be held accountable," the governor said. President Trump had previously announced the arrest of the likely attacker."I think we have him," the White House chief said in an interview with Fox News.
At the press conference, Cox also confirmed that the shell casings found with the murder weapon were inscribed with anti-fascist slogans, such as"Hey Fascist! Catch!" or "Bella Ciao," a reference to a song by Italian anti-fascist partisans from World War II.
Refrain from political violence, Utah governor urges
Sheriff Mike Smith described the investigation as"extensive and challenging, but fast-paced," adding that the public has provided many leads and tips. FBI Director Kash Patel also said investigators have moved quickly.
Cox said authorities had received about 7,000 tips from the public. A newly released video shows someone running and jumping from the roof where Kirk was shot. Authorities have also released a series of photos of the suspect. The FBI was offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his identification. Robinson was taken into custody Friday night.
Kirk's murder, Cox said, was not simply an attack on one person, but an attack on all of us."It was an attack on our ideals," he said. America, he said, will not be able to solve other problems if people are afraid to share their opinions, including those with which others disagree.
The media, including the BBC, noticed that Republican Cox had difficulty hiding his emotions during this part of the press conference as he asked all sides of the political spectrum to refrain from politically motivated violence.
Reuters, in a report published on Friday, notes that Trump supporters are blaming the left for Kirk’s murder, fueling political tensions. Calls for retaliation and radicalization are growing on right-wing platforms. On his podcast War Room, far-right commentator Steve Bannon called Kirk a “martyr of the America First movement” and claimed that Kirk was constantly threatened by “bad people” on the left. “We cannot back down. We cannot falter,” Bannon said.
Kirk was apparently the victim of a political assassination
Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative political activist and supporter of President Trump, was shot in the neck by an assailant with a single shot during a debate Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem. Trump called Kirk's death a political assassination and ordered flags on federal buildings to be flown at half-staff until Sunday in his honor.
Kirk, a father of two young children and co-founder of the nonprofit group Turning Point USA, the nation's largest conservative youth organization, will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Trump also announced that he would personally attend Kirk's funeral and said he hoped Kirk's killer would receive the death penalty.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance flew Kirk and his family to Phoenix, Arizona, on his presidential plane, Air Force Two. In the photos, Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, is seen holding the hand of the vice president's wife, Usha Vance, as they exit the plane. The vice president is seen helping to carry the casket onto the plane.
