The manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s killer is over, authorities said Friday.
It ended with the arrest of a 22-year-old man who despised Mr. Kirk’s viewpoints.
Police arrested Tyler Robinson in the shooting death of the rising conservative star, Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Friday.
“We got him,” Mr. Cox said at a press conference.
Mr. Robinson had “confessed” to “a family friend,” the governor said, who then contacted the Washington County, Utah, Sheriff’s Office.
The hunt for a suspect concluded nearly two days after a sniper’s bullet struck down Mr. Kirk as he gathered with students on the campus of Utah Valley University.
Mr. Kirk was engaging with students on hot-button issues and was answering a question, from his conservative viewpoint, about transgender students and mass shootings.
Authorities now say the sniper, who killed Mr. Kirk with a single .30-06 round from a Mauser bolt-action rifle, was Mr. Robinson.
He has been booked into the Utah County Jail.
Emerging details paint a picture of a young man who grew increasingly hateful of conservatives and, in particular, Mr. Kirk, who had stirred hatred on the left by opposing transgender ideology, abortion, illegal immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
Law enforcement recovered a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel and dumped in the woods near the university campus. A spent round was in the chamber and shell casings left beside the gun were carved up with messages. Among the messages were “Hey fascist, catch!” and “If you read this you are gay, LMAO.”
Mr. Robinson, the governor said, had become “more political” in recent years and had said disparaging things about Charlie Kirk, according to his family. They said Mr. Robinson had made statements indicating he was aware of Mr. Kirk’s scheduled appearance at Utah Valley University. His car matched the description of the Dodge Charger police say the suspect drove to the campus.
A family member, Mr. Cox said, stated that “Robinson had become more political in recent years,” and had talked about why he didn’t like Mr. Kirk or his viewpoints.
“The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate,” Mr. Cox said.
Mr. Robinson was not a student at the university.
Police posted a mugshot of Mr. Robinson online, and sleuths dug into his social media footprint, reposting photos of him standing in his bedroom wearing clothing and Converse sneakers that looked similar to the apparel seen on a suspect caught on security camera footage. Another photo showed Mr. Robinson in a restaurant sitting in front of a plate of pancakes.
Mr. Cox said he expected Mr. Robinson to be formally charged next week.
Earlier, President Trump first announced the suspect was caught on Fox & Friends.
He said Mr. Robinson’s father turned him in and a minister was involved in it.
“Somebody very close to him said, ‘That’s him,’ and went to the father, went to law enforcement,” Mr. Trump said. “The person was involved in law enforcement but was a person of faith, a minister. He brought him to a U.S. Marshall and the father convinced the son, ‘This is it.”
The FBI had circulated photographs of the suspect on Thursday and received more than 10,000 tips.
