FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday that authorities received more than 11,000 tips from a range of sources to identify the suspect alleged to have shot and killed conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
During a press conference in Utah, Patel said that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been arrested for the murder. It’s not clear if Robinson is a student at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was speaking at an event on Wednesday when he was shot.
Patel, along with Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, also revealed further details about the investigation that eventually led to Robinson’s arrest. That included some involvement from a family member who may have contacted authorities after learning about the incident.
Officials also revealed that Robinson was speaking to his roommate in a Discord chat about figuring out how to go back to the scene and retrieve the gun he left behind.
The governor said that Robinson was seen in surveillance video arriving to the campus in a gray Dodge Challenger. He also indicated that Robinson’s father saw surveillance photos that were released by the FBI and then worked with a family pastor to encourage his son’s surrender.
Also, authorities revealed that the suspect was communicating with an as yet unidentified party over the Discord platform discussing details about the suspected Mauser 30.06 caliber rifle believed to be the murder weapon.
JUST IN: 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson has been taken into custody for the assassination of Charlie Kirk, according to the Daily Mail.
Robinson was reportedly turned in by his father.
“The killer then confessed to his father, who is a a 27-year veteran of the… pic.twitter.com/qzaQHKBxnA
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 12, 2025
Patel said that FBI agents and other authorities were shown the messages and were allowed to take photos of them as part of the investigation. Robinson and the other party were reportedly discussing where to stash the weapon, as well as Robinson’s attire.
Family members reported that Robinson had become “more political” in the past couple of years, and that there had been a discussion specifically about Kirk coming to the Utah campus at a recent family gathering.
Patel indicated that Robinson viewed Kirk in a negative light. Also, Patel and Cox revealed that there were writings on the bullet casings that include these messages: “Hey Fascist! Catch!,” “Bella Ciao,” and “If you read this, you are gay lmao.”
Kirk, 31, a father of two, was seated under a tent at Utah Valley University around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, engaging students in a debate on current issues when a single gunshot rang out. Video from the scene shows him hit in the neck before collapsing from his chair.
The event was organized by the university’s chapter of Turning Point USA, the national conservative student group Kirk founded.
“I think with a high-degree of certainty, we have him,” President Donald Trump revealed on “Fox & Friends” Friday morning. He added that, “essentially, someone who knew him turned him in.”
“We have the person that we think is the person we’re looking for, but they drove into the police headquarters, and he’s there now,” Trump said.
Sources told Fox News that Robinson’s father played a role in his surrender.
Witnesses screamed and scrambled for cover after Kirk was shot in the neck. He was rushed to a hospital but later pronounced dead.
Video circulating online appears to show a dark-clad figure on a rooftop. Investigators said the fatal round was fired from roughly 200 yards away, likely from the roof of the Losee Center building across the plaza from where Kirk was speaking.
Investigators recovered a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” along the route Robinson was believed to have taken while fleeing, FBI Salt Lake City Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said.
The bureau also released images of a man dressed in black identified as a “person of interest” in the case. Bohls added that forensic evidence collected included a palm print, a footprint, and a forearm impression.