Kirk assassination suspect 'confessed' or 'indicated' crime to family member

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(The Center Square) – The suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been arrested after being turned in by his own family, after the suspect had “become more political.”

“We got him!” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox proclaimed during a press conference Friday morning, identifying the suspect as Tyler Robinson, 22, of Washington County, Utah.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Robinson was taken into custody at 10 p.m. MDT Thursday following a press conference releasing more images of the suspect.

Cox confirmed similar comments made by President Donald Trump earlier in the morning during an appearance on Fox News Friday morning.

“A family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident,” said the governor.

Cox added that family members claimed Robinson “had become more political in recent years” and “was full of hate and spreading hate.”

The governor added that during an interview with a family member, the suspect mentioned Kirk would be visiting Utah Valley University and discussed why Robinson disliked Kirk.

In addition to family members, investigators interviewed Robinson's roommate, who revealed a series of messages from the suspect on Discord.

The messages “affiliated” with the suspect stated “a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush," Cox said.

The governor said there were also messages “related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel.”

Messages included references to engraved bullets, a scope and “the rifle being unique," Cox said. The suspect also mentioned having to change outfits.

The messages appear to be consistent with where investigators located the “high-powered bolt action rifle” in a wooded area near the shooting site, Cox said. He confirmed that a scope was also recovered with the gun and wrapped in a dark-colored towel.

The governor said investigators reviewed additional video footage from UVU and observed the suspect arriving on campus at “approximately 8:29 a.m.” the morning of the shooting, driving a gray Dodge Challenger, which family members confirmed the suspect drove, with the same color, make and model.

On video, the suspect was observed wearing “a plain maroon T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light-colored shoes,” adding that when investigators “encountered” the suspect in person in Washington County, Utah, during the early morning hours of Friday, he was “observed in consistent clothing” with the surveillance videos.

The governor also confirmed wording had been engraved in bullet casings.

When asked if investigators believed anyone else was involved, Cox said he believed the suspect acted alone. However, he wouldn’t rule it out, saying that the “investigation is ongoing.”

Kirk, 31, was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during a “Prove Me Wrong” campus event at the university in Orem.