Suspect Identified and Arrested in Fatal Shooting of Charlie Kirk
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice charges. A judge ordered that he be held without bail.
Written By EEW Magazine News Editors
Alleged assassin Tyler Robinson was on a scholarship at the university| FACEBOOK
OREM, Utah (Sept. 12, 2025) — Authorities have identified the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University as Tyler Robinson, 22, of southern Utah. Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday after a two-day manhunt that stretched across several counties, officials said.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest at a Friday briefing. Robinson is being held on charges of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, and obstruction of justice, according to charging documents.
A mugshot of Tyler Robinson has been released| FBI
"We got him," Cox said, later adding, "I want to thank the family members of Tyler Robinson, who did the right thing in this case."
He was apprehended in Washington County after a relative alerted investigators to his whereabouts, police said. A high-powered bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered near the campus, where Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck while speaking outdoors to a crowd of students and community members on Wednesday.
Investigators also discovered bullet casings with inscriptions, including phrases such as “Hey fascist, catch!” and “Bella, ciao.”
“Bella, ciao” is Italian for “Goodbye, beautiful.”
Charlie Kirk speaks at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, shortly before he was fatally shot on Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
It’s the title and refrain of an Italian folk song that became famous as an anti-fascist anthem during World War II. The song was sung by partigiani (partisans), members of the Italian resistance movement, who fought against Mussolini’s fascist regime and Nazi occupation in the 1940s.
Over the decades, “Bella Ciao” has been used worldwide as a protest song symbolizing resistance against oppression and authoritarianism. It’s also gained pop culture recognition more recently through the Spanish Netflix series La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), which revived global interest in the anthem.
Authorities said Robinson allegedly discussed weapons and planning on the chat platform Discord, though they have not determined whether anyone else was involved.
Public records show Robinson briefly attended Utah State University in 2021 but was not enrolled at Utah Valley University.
Kirk’s death has drawn bipartisan condemnation of political violence. Former President Donald Trump, a close ally, called him “a great American patriot.”
