A 22-year-old Utah man jailed on murder charges in the killing of Charlie Kirk harbored strong dislike for the conservative activist’s provocative views and admitted to a family member that he was behind the shooting, officials said Friday.
The arrest marked a major break in a case that shocked the country and raised fresh alarms about political violence in a deeply polarized United States.
Tyler Robinson had become "more political" in the run-up to the shooting and mentioned during a dinner with family that Kirk would be visiting Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox said at a news conference. The Republican governor cited as evidence engravings on bullet casings found in the rifle that authorities believe was used in the attack, as well as chat app messages attributed to the suspect that a roommate shared with law enforcement.
The governor credited Robinson's family with helping turn him over to authorities.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we got him," Cox said soon after the arrest was first heralded by President Donald Trump on the Fox News show "Fox & Friends."
