22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah was taken into custody Thursday night, charged with the murder of conservative activist and close ally of Donald Trump , Charlie Kirk .

The arrest came 33 hours after the murder of Kirk, who was shot dead from long range last Wednesday during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem.

According to FBI Director Cass Patel, authorities have moved with historic speed. On Thursday morning (local time), photos of the suspect were released and a $100,000 reward was later announced. Robinson was arrested that evening.

Authorities identified the suspect by reviewing security camera footage that showed him arriving at the university in a Dodge Challenger. He then drove south toward Washington City, where he was located.

When he was arrested, he was wearing clothing that matched what was seen in the video: a burgundy T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo, and light-colored shoes.

The timeline of the arrest

FBI Director Cass Patel presented at the press conference the timeline of events that led to the arrest of Tyler Robinson, emphasizing that within 33 hours, investigators made historic progress.

• At 12:23 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10, Charlie Kirk was shot.
• Within 16 minutes, at 12:39 p.m., the first agents arrived and cordoned off the area.
• The FBI immediately deployed aerial vehicles to transport special personnel and evidence.
• Yesterday at 10:00 a.m. (local time) the first photos of the suspect were released.
• At 10:45 a.m. the FBI announced a reward of $100,000.
• Patel arrived at the scene of the crime at 5:30 p.m.
• At 8:00 p.m. the governor held a press conference, where videos and images of suspect.
• At 10:00 PM on Thursday night, the suspect was taken into custody.

The role of the family

The contribution of Robinson's family proved decisive. He allegedly confessed or hinted to a family friend that he had committed the murder.

Specifically, authorities took a statement from a close friend of Robinson, who showed them messages he exchanged with a Discord account named Tyler. In these messages, Tyler mentioned the need to retrieve a rifle from a place where he had hidden it, that he had left it in a bush, that he was monitoring the area where the weapon was located, and that he had wrapped it in a towel. In the same messages, Tyler also mentioned that he had changed clothes.

The friend contacted the sheriff's office, while family members convinced him to turn himself in.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the family's action the right one.

Earlier, Trump revealed that the suspect's father, a former sheriff and priest, played a leading role in his extradition. The US president expressed hope that the perpetrator would be sentenced to death, describing Kirk as the best man.

The findings

Investigators seized a repeating rifle with a scope, wrapped in a dark towel, as well as bullet casings with engraved messages.

The perpetrator had carved anti-government and anti-fascist slogans with online trolling on the caps: Hey fascist! Catch!, Bella Ciao (anthem of the anti-fascist resistance in World War II), If you read this, you are gay lmao and notices bulges OwO what’s this? (a reference to online copypasta).

The authorities believe that these findings show the suspect's strong influence on online culture and anti-fascist rhetoric.

The profile of the perpetrator

Robinson was not a student at Utah Valley University and lived with his family in Utah. A family member testified that he had recently become more politicized and spoke disparagingly of Kirk, calling him full of hate.

Robinson is being held in the Utah County Jail. Authorities have three days to file formal charges.

Governor Cox said there were no indications of additional arrests, and the investigation was continuing with thousands of new leads being reviewed by the FBI. He called the killing a defining moment in American history, comparing it to the political assassinations of the 1960s.

The press conference made frequent references to everyone's faith and prayers, with officials calling for support for the Kirk family and law enforcement.