Tyler Robinson, suspected assassin of Charlie Kirk, arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder
A 22-year-old Utah native has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk, and is expected to be formally charged next week
by Summer Lane | September 12, 2025
Tyler James Robinson, 22, has reportedly been arrested for suspicion of murder in connection with the assassination of free speech champion and Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk, according to court documents.
Robinson, who was identified on Friday by law enforcement as the suspect in custody, faces three charges in total, per the documents: felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice (first-degree felony), and aggravated murder.
Formal charges will be filed against the suspect next Tuesday, according to NBC.
According to Utah County Sheriff documents, Robinson is not eligible for bail. Under Utah state law, Robinson is eligible for the death penalty with an aggravated murder charge.
This comes after a massive manhunt unfolded following Wednesday’s tragic incident at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was horrifically gunned down and killed by a then-unknown shooter.
During a Friday press conference, Republican Utah Governor Spencer Cox said that a family member of Robinson identified the suspected assassin on September 11, just one day after the assassination.
According to CBS, the suspect’s own father turned him in. This confirms what President Donald Trump said Friday morning during an interview with Fox News, where he stated that the “father” and a “minister” both worked together to turn in the suspect.
Gov. Cox said he believed that Robinson acted “alone,” according to CBS. However, questions persist about whether this assumption is accurate.
Information presented to the public during the press conference in Utah on Friday clearly stated that Robinson was part of a Discord chat, where he discussed the alleged murder weapon – a high-powered rifle – with an unidentified entity. Who was he talking to? How many people were in this chat? These questions have not been answered.
As reported by LindellTV, Cox said the suspect talked about “a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving a rifle in a bush…to visually watching an area where the rifle was left.”
Authorities found a rifle in a wooded area on Wednesday, shortly after the shooting took place.
Per NBC, Discord has released a statement disputing that there was evidence that suggested “that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.” Further:
“The messages referenced in recent reporting about planning details do not appear to be Discord messages. These were communications between the suspect’s roommate and a friend after the shooting, where the roommate was recounting the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere. We have removed the suspect’s account for violating our off-platform behavior policy.“
The charges likely to be filed against Robinson are state charges. Federal charges could also be added to this case.
Photo: Screenshot/Utah County Sheriff
