OREM, UTAH — The hunt for the person who shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk ended on Friday with the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. The arrest happened in Spanish Fork, Utah, after a three-day manhunt that crossed state lines and was helped by more than 7,000 tips from the public.
The big break occurred when someone “very close” to Robinson called a friend, who then called the police. At a press conference, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said that a relative of Robinson’s told a friend that Robinson had either confessed to or hinted at his involvement in the crime. Governor Cox thanked the family for their help in catching the culprit and applauded them for “doing the right thing.”
In an interview with Fox News, US President Donald Trump also confirmed the arrest and said that Robinson’s father had worked with the police through a “minister” who was also involved in law enforcement.
Governor Cox said that a family member remembered a dinner conversation that happened before the incident on September 10. During that conversation, Robinson had talked about his forthcoming trip to Utah and dubbed Kirk “full of hate and spreading hate.” Robinson’s roommate also gave police communications received on the Discord app in which Robinson said he left a weapon wrapped in a towel and with a scope in a bush near Utah Valley University. Authorities had already found a high-powered rifle in a rural area near the university that matched the description.
Robinson was taken to the Utah County jail. He has never been in trouble with the law before and is a “inactive” voter with no specified political party affiliation. He hasn’t been legally charged yet, but the police say they arrested him on suspicion of aggravated murder and other serious crimes. Governor Cox has said that Utah will seek the death sentence in this case.
The killing of Charlie Kirk, a strong supporter of Trump, has sent shockwaves through the US political scene. The tragedy happens at a time when political violence is on the rise in the US. Kirk was shot and killed while talking about the Second Amendment and gun-related deaths, which shows how divided American society is.