Charlie Kirk shooting: Tyler Robinson named by FBI as arrested assassination suspect

At the conclusion of Erika Kirk's address, the grieving wife of murdered commentator Charlie Kirk paid tribute to her husband as she said:"Charlie will stand at his savior’s side wearing the glorious crown of a martyr"

She added that he "wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith."

The heartbroken widow, who will now be left to raise their two children alone, also reflected on her husband’s passions and in particular his patriotism.

"He loved his life. He loved America. He loved nature, which helped him always bring him closer to God. He loved the Chicago Cubs and, my goodness, did he love the Oregon Ducks."

"Most of all," she said, 'Charlie loved his children, and he loved me with all of his heart, and I knew that every day."

Erika Kirk then went on to pledge to continue to carry out his work with Turning Point USA, as she urged young people to join his organisation and called for a revival of Christian faith.

Addressing his alleged killer, Tyler Robinson specifically she said: “you have no idea what you unleashed.”

“The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry,” she said. “The movement my husband built will not die.”

Kirk’s scheduled campus tour, and a conference scheduled for December, AmericaFest, “will go on” she said, as will his radio and podcast show.

“His wisdom will endure,” she declared.

Erika Kirk, the grieving widow of murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk has broken her silence for the first time since her husband was shot dead on Wednesday.

Beginning her speech with a heartfelt thanks to law enforcement officials and emergency services for trying to save Charlie’s life, Erike at times appeared to be overcome with emotion as her voice fluctuated between whispering and cracking as she made her feelings known.

She then went on to thank Turning Point USA, the political youth organisation her husband created, before also praising US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha for having brought his body back to Arizona on Air Force Two.

Erika also signalled out President Donald Trump by name as she told the world leader: “Mr President, my husband loved you and he knew that you loved him too. Your friendship was amazing.”

Reflecting on her husband’s own political ambitions, she went on to stress how important his Christian faith had been to him, particularly in regards to marriage, as she told audiences: ““if he ever ran for office” he intended to make it his top priority “to revive the American family.”

Despite the tragic loss of its leader, The Charlie Kirk Show aired as scheduled on Friday with a new episode of the popular podcast.

In recognition of the host’s assassination on Wednesday and Charlie’s ongoing legacy, the show opened with a seven-minute montage of photos and videos set to acoustic guitar.

The show’s executive producer Andrew Kolvet then addressed audiences directly as he said: “Charlie would’ve wanted us to be here,” as his voice cracked with emotion.

Just to his right, Kirk’s chair sat empty, with a white 47 cap and stuffed giraffe plushie placed in memory where his laptop used to be, in memory of the late political commentator.

“No one will ever fill it,” Kolvet said. “No one will ever hope to.”

In a deviation from the original planned episode, the hour long show became a tribute to Kirk, and saw Kolvet share numerous memories of Kirk’s faith, humour and political stance with his co-hosts, before taking calls form grieving friends and fans.

A fundrasier set up to help support Charlie Kirk's family has surpassed over $3million (£2.2million) in less than 24 hours.

The fund, which was started by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson on Thursday, set out with a target of around $5million in total to make sure Kirk's family is supported financially in the aftermath of his murder.

The campaign, which was created by Carlson's company APL Pouches, saw the commentator put his money where his mouth is, as APL Pouches itself kickstarted the fund with a hefty $1million donation (£737k).

A post said: "Our team at ALP is heartbroken by the death of Charlie Kirk — a devoted husband, father, and friend. Love for God, family, and country defined his life.

"Charlie leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two young children. As they navigate this unimaginable loss, we want to rally together to provide security and stability for Charlie’s loved ones."

A link to donate to the fund can be found here.

Erika Kirk, the grieving widow of murdered activist Charlie Kirk, will make her first public address tonight since her husband’s assassination on Wednesday.

She is scheduled to speak at 8:15 p.m. ET, (roughly 1:15am Saturday morning UK time) Turning Point USA announced in a news release

In case you missed the news earlier, Kirk's suspected killer Tyler Robinson is currently due to be charged on Tuesday.

According to reports, Jeff Gray, the Utah county attorney “is carefully reviewing all the evidence in this case to determine the appropriate charges to file."

If charges are filed on Tuesday, Robinson’s first appearance would be a virtual hearing at 3pm mountain time (10pm UK time).

As per court records obtained by CNN, Robinson is currently being held without bail on several initial charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.

FBI Director Kash Patel has paid tribute to his friend Charlie Kirk, saying that they will "meet again in Valhalla.”

Mr.Patel made the poignant remarks during the conclusion of a press conference on Friday, which named the suspect behind the murder as Tyler Robinson.

In his closing address, he said: “To my friend Charlie Kirk; Rest now brother. We have the watch and I’ll see you in Valhalla.”

In Norse mythology Valhalla loosely translates as “Hall of the Slain”, and is the sacred place where warriors who die bravely in battle reside after being selected by the god Odin.

While at rest in the sacred realm, these warriors live an eternal life of battle and feasting, with their wounds healed each evening in order to fight again another day and feast each evening on meat from the boar Sæhrimnir and milk from the goat Heidrun.

Several service members have been relieved from their duties following controversial social media posts following Charlie Kirk’s murder.

The move comes after US defence secretary Pete Hegseth told staff to find and identify military members and any individual associated with the Pentagon who has mocked or appeared to condone Charlie Kirk’s murder.

Hegseth and other senior Pentagon leaders took to X on Thursday to ask people to report any military members or Defence Department staffers who were seen posting critical social media posts that appeared to condone the right wing commentator’s assassination, or that could appear unsympathetic towards his death.

So far, dozens of service members have been openly criticised for their posts regarding Kirk’s death on social media, with their damning words how highlighted and collected under the hashtag #RevolutionariesintheRanks.

It is currently unknown whether they will face any further action beyond immediate termination of employment.

A South Park episode satirising conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has been pulled from television schedules in the US in the wake of his murder.

The episode in question, titled Got A Nut, aired on August 6 and featured Eric Cartman adopting the persona of a conservative pundit who debates college students, with clear nods to Kirk’s hairstyle and mannerisms.

A gag award – the “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters” – was also included in the storyline.

According to Deadline, reruns of Got A Nut have now been removed from Comedy Central’s schedules following the shooting, though the episode remains available on Paramount+, the streaming service that hosts the series in both the US and UK.

The episode is still available to watch in the UK.

Former BBC star Nadiya Hussain is facing fierce backlash for her post in the wake of the death of Charlie Kirk.

She wrote: "Charlie Kirk, a right wing political 'activist' was shot in the neck today and died. The Internet screams: 'graphic,' 'unwatchable,' 'unimaginable terror.'

"For two years Gaza has lived through horrors that no words can hold. Children carrying other children in bloodied backpacks. Bodies torn apart in buildings, shreds hanging. Brains on the floor. Burns too horrific to imagine. Horror upon Horror. And this is what's 'too graphic'?”

She added: "A man who was a vocal Islamophobe and bigot who glorified violence. He celebrated shootings, cheered on aggression, and thrived on spreading hate. His life was a platform for division and fear.

"But here's the question we can't ignore: why is it that when white men die, the world mourns and when 20,000 children do, silence fills the streets?"

Stephen King deleted and apologised for a post on X claiming that Charlie Kirk "advocated stoning gays to death".

He wrote: "I apologise for saying Charlie Kirk advocated stoning gays. What he actually demonstrated was how some people cherry-pick Biblical passages."

Texas senator Ted Cruz responded to the author, calling him a "horrible, evil, twisted liar". 

Mr King responded: "The horrible, evil, twisted liar apologises. This is what I get for reading something on Twitter [without] fact-checking. Won't happen again."

Robinson's school records posted by his mother in 2020 and verified by Sky News showed he had a 4.0 grade average - the equivalent of an A in the UK.

An elderly man was wrongly identified as being the shooter who killed Charlie Kirk, and he's now considering legal action.

Michael Mallinson was over 1,800 miles away from where the fatal incident took place, but photos of him were quickly shared online by people claiming he was the perpetrator.

The 77-year-old told Sky News: "I've never been to Utah, so it was all a shock. It is incredibly frightening how quickly that information got spread around."

Mr Mallinson is now considering taking legal action to clear his name.

He added: "I understand that I have to contact Meta and X to get them to expunge my details. That doesn't address the immediate concern that my name is still circulating."

Robinson confessed to the shooting to his father, who urged him to hand himself in, sources told CBS News.

The 22-year-old said he'd rather take his own life, prompting his father to call a youth pastor who's also a close family friend.

They both tried to calm him down before the pastor called the US Marshals, who detained him until the FBI arrived and took him into custody.

Robinson is due to be charged with:

This comes from the booking sheet obtained by CBS News. The attorney's office is due to file charges on Tuesday.

Charges will be filed against Tyler Robinson on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Utah County Attorney's Office sent to CBS News.

The office is "carefully reviewing all the evidence in this case to determine the appropriate charges to file".

County attorney Jeff Gray will also hold a news conference next Tuesday.

A Discord spokesperson told NBC News that the company did identify an account belonging to Robinson, but the messages referenced by Mr Cox were not sent on the app.

The spokesperson said: "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and extend our condolences to the Kirk family and everyone affected.

"In the course of our investigation, we identified a Discord account associated with the suspect, but have found no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.

"The messages referenced in recent reporting about planning details do not appear to be Discord messages.

"These were communications between the suspect’s roommate and a friend after the shooting, where the roommate was recounting the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere.

"We have removed the suspect’s account for violating our off-platform behavior policy. We strongly condemn violence of any kind, including political violence, and we will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement."

Robinson was previously a student at Utah State University before dropping out after just one term, the Daily Mail reported.

He received a presidential scholarship of $32,000 (£23,000) to attend, according to a video posted on Facebook in March 2021.

Robinson says in the video while his family can be heard cheering: "Congratulations, you have been selected to receive the resident presidential scholarship from Utah State University.

"The scholarship is available for four years or eight semesters."

It remains unknown why he dropped out in 2021.

His movements leading up to the event have not been fully revealed, but Utah Governor Spencer Cox said he was seen arriving at Utah Valley University in a Dodge Challenger at around 8.29am local time on Wednesday.

He was not a student at the college, Mr Cox added, and had been living with his family in Washington County, about three hours away.

FBI director Kash Patel said Robinson was taken into custody at 10pm local time last night after confessing to his father. His father then told a family friend, who informed a sheriff.

Robinson was taken into custody by US Marshals, who then informed the FBI.

Robinson was a registered voter but was not affiliated with a political party, according to state voter records.

The records showed he was an "inactive" voter, meaning he had not cast a ballot in recent elections and had not responded to a mailing from the county clerk’s office.

Both of Robinson's parents are registered Republicans, The Wall Street Journal reports.

In Utah, roughly half of voters are Republicans, and around a quarter are unaffiliated.

State records reviewed by Reuters revealed that Robinson does not appear to have any criminal history.

Tyler Robinson was arrested in Washington County, Utah.

This is to the south of Salt Lake City and Utah Valley University, where Charlie Kirk was shot.

The below map shows Washington County outlined in red.

Tyler Robinson's father reportedly knew his son was the suspect in the killing based on the images released by the FBI, two law enforcement sources told CBS.

Robinson then confessed and his father urged him to turn himself in, it is claimed.

He was taken into custody by US Marshals, who informed the FBI, the sources added.

Donald Trump shared a tribute to Charlie Kirk on his social media platform, Truth Social. 

The post reads, "Everybody Loved Charlie!" alongside an AI generated image of the pair hugging. In the background, US and Israeli flags can be seen.

Investigators interviewed Tyler Robinson's roomate, who showed them exchanges on the messaging app Discord between him and an account named "Tyler".

"Tyler" described needing to get a "unique" rifle, leaving it in a bush, watching over the area, and wrapping it in a towel. The account also sent messages mentioning engraving bullets and a scope.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said officials found a bolt action rifle, with a scope, wrapped in a dark towel, and inscriptions on the bullet casings.

One inscription read: "Notices bulges owo." Others included: "Hey fascist! Catch!", "o bella ciao, bella ciao" and "if you read this you are gay lmao".

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said investigators found a bolt action rifle, with a scope, wrapped in a dark towel, and inscriptions on the bullet casings.

One inscription read: "Notices bulges owo." Others included: "Hey fascist! Catch!", "o bella ciao, bella ciao" and "if you read this you are gay lmao".

Governor Spencer Cox confirmed that the suspect Tyler Robinson was not enrolled at Utah Valley University.

“He was living, and had lived for a long time, with his family in Washington County,” he clarified.

Governor Spencer Cox of Utah said the assassination of Charlie Kirk was a "watershed moment" in US history.

He said: "I absolutely believe that this is a watershed in American history.

“The question is: What kind of watershed? And that chapter remains to be written. Is this the end of a dark chapter in our history or the beginning of a darker chapter in our history?

“If you look at true political assassinations in this country, of someone of this stature, this feels a lot like the late ’60s.

"And having one so gruesomely displayed on camera, in all of our hands and in all of our pockets, we are not wired as human beings, biologically, historically, we have not evolved in a way that we are capable of processing those types of violent imagery.”

The main suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk - Tyler Robinson - has been booked into Utah County Jail.

Governor Spencer Cox confirmed that a friend helped to deliver Robinson to police custody in Washington County.

Utah's governor said Charlie Kirk's killing was "much bigger than an attack on an individual".

"It is an attack on all of us," he said.  "It is an attack on the American experiment, it is an attack on our ideals," adding it "cuts to the very foundation of who we are".

Spencer Cox said he was unable to reveal the killer's motive for shooting Charlie Kirk.

He added the investigation was ongoing.

He went on to say the suspect was taken into custody in Washington County, in southern Utah, around a three to four hour drive from Orem, where his family lived.

The rifle used in the killing of Charlie Kirk was a Mauser model 9836 caliber, a type of bolt-action firearm, that had a scope mounted on top of it.

Sheriff Mike Smith said it had been a "vast, complicated and very, very fast paced investigation".

He added the investigation had "been very taxing" before praising the level of cooperation in this case and thanking the public.

The chief suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk was wearing similar clothes to the man seen in the surveillance video released by the FBI on Thursday.

He was seen in a plain maroon T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light-colored shoes, the Utah governor said.

When encountered by investigators this morning, the suspect was wearing clothes “consistent” with those seen on video, Spencer Cox said.

Tyler Robinson's mugshot has been released by police.

The caption reads: Tyler Robinson, suspected of killing Charlie Kirk on 9/10 in Orem, Utah.

Kash Patel shared a message for Charlie Kirk in his final comments at the press conference.

"Lastly, to my friend Charlie Kirk. Rest now brother. We have the watch and I'll see you in Valhalla." he said.

Kash Patel confirmed that Tyler Robinson was taken into custody at 10pm local time on Thursday.

He said: “That’s why we went so public, so fast, and we’re so transparent. We’re committed to that transparency."

Spencer Cox thanked the family members of the suspected shooter, who he said "did the right thing" in bringing him to law enforcement.

The governor also thanked Kirk's family, including his parents, wife Erika and children.

"This is a very sad day for our country, a terrible day for the state of Utah, but I'm grateful that at this moment we have an opportunity to bring closure to a very dark chapter in our nation's history," he said.

Tyler Robinson "had become more political in recent years," a family member said, according to Utah governor Spencer Cox.

The family member referenced a recent dinner when in conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to Utah Valley University.

Cox said they "talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints he had" and the family member "said Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate".

Investigators have revealed the nature of several of the messages that were inscribed on the assassin's bullets.

A fired shell allegedly read: "Hey Fascist! Catch!"

While an unfired bullet was also daubed with etchings that read: "If you read this you are gay lmao".

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said a family friend of the suspect had contacted the Sheriff's Office in Washington County.

He said: "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."

The press conference in Orem, Utah has begun with three words confirming the much leaked news - first shared by Donald Trump himself – that a suspect has been arrested that authorities believe to be the assassin of Charlie Kirk.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox began the joint FBI and Police press conference by telling those assembled in front of the TV cameras: "We got him."

The man in custody bears a strong resemblance to the person seen in CCTV images released by law enforcement officials on Thursday, according to multiple sources.

Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump were close allies. Below are some photos of the two together.

The FBI update from director Kash Patel is due to take place any moment now.

The press conference was originally scheduled for 2pm but was postponed as President Trump made his remarks on Fox News earlier confirming an arrest had been made.

The US President said he will attend Charlie Kirk's funeral next week, before heading to the UK on a state visit.

He added that Charlie Kirk should "not be having a funeral".

"He should be out there in front of people, he loved doing it, he was so good at it," he said.

The suspect has been named as Tyler Robinson, according to NBC News.

He was born in 2003 and is from Utah.

The authorities in Orem, Utah, including state and FBI investigators, were set to hold a press conference at 2pm.

Word has since been passed down there that that press conference has been delayed by at least half an hour.

The US President flatly rejected the idea that Charlie Kirk would want physical revenge for his death.

He said: "He'd want revenge at the voter box."

The NBC  TV network in the US is reporting that the suspect being held in custody is in his early 20s.

Earlier President Trump had indicated the suspect was aged between 28 and 29 years old.

A law enforcement official has confirmed a man was taken into custody around 11pm local time (6am UK time) by Utah state and local police, according to the New York Times.

The unnamed official said authorities were not releasing the suspect's identity because they were still in the process of pursuing leads and executing search warrants.

Donald Trump told Fox News he "couldn't care less" about healing divisons in the USA.

He also blamed "left radicals" for the problems in the country.

“The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime. They don’t want to see crime, worried about the border,” he said.

“The radicals on the left are the problem, and they’re vicious and they’re horrible and they’re politically savvy”.

Appearing on Fox News's Fox and Friends programme this afternoon, Mr Trump suggested to the hosts that he would speak carefully"so Fox doesn't get sued". 

He then went on to say the suspect in Charlie Kirk murder was in custody. 

"Someone very close" to the suspect is responsible for turning him in to the police, the President has claimed while on Fox and Friends.

Trump goes on to claim that a minister with connections to law enforcement went to a US Marshal to help bring the suspect into custody.

Trump adds during the broadcast: "Things may change, but facts are the facts, we have who we're looking for."

The US President has told Fox News he hopes the killer of Charlie Kirk gets the death penalty.

"Kirk was the finest person and he didn't deserve this." he added

Donald Trump, still speaking on Fox News, has claimed the suspect in custody is "28 or 29".

Authorities had previously claimed the mystery gunman appeared to be "of college age".

Donald Trump said on Fox News that a suspect in the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is in custody.

"With a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody. Everyone did a great job," the president told "Fox and Friends" Friday morning.

"Essentially, someone that was very close to him turned him in," he said, adding that the suspect's capture would be announced today.

The president said the suspect's father convinced his son to turn himself in.

"I just heard about it" five minutes ago," he said.

Donald Trump Jr has acknowldeged the key role that Charlie Kirk played in helping to get his dad elected as President in 2024.

"Other than my father, [Kirk] was the single-handed most important player of the last election," he told the Megyn Kelly Show last night.

Donald Trump Jr added Kirk, "moved the youth vote... especially the male vote".

"When you're that age, it's a little more effective that sending an 85-year-old establishment politician... who doesn't understand social media... doesn't feel the vibe of what's going on. Charlie did those things."

KUTV - an affiliate of CBS - is reporting that a man has been arrested after he allegedly broke into the Kirk assassination scene at Utah Valley University to take photos and videos of evidence, as well as a selfie.

Russell Kim Kennington, 38, of Pleasant Grove, Utah, was charged with suspicion of capital obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, and criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor.

US officlas have "no idea" on the whereabouts of the suspect who shot Charlie Kirk.

Beau Mason - the chief of Utah's Department of Public Safety - told NBC:

"We have no idea. We're exploring leads for individuals out of state and individuals that live close by.

"We literally have persons of interest tips coming in on the tip line that are spanning far and wide."

Military chiefs have warned soldiers and Defence department civilians not to celebrate or mock the death of Charlie Kirk.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X social media: "It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American. The Department of War has zero tolerance for it."

Soon after, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth added in his own post: "We are tracking all these very closely — and will address, immediately. Completely unacceptable."

The FBI has released a video showing the suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk fleeing the scene of the crime.

The suspect can be seen lowering himself from the roof of a building, before hurrying away.

Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti Davis told CNN she lamenetd the loss of “humanity over politics” in the US in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing.

She recalled that when her father was shot in 1981 there was a “suspension of politics and rancor” and that the country came together and showed her family compassion.

However, today's political climate was very different to then.

"This country kind of folded itself around us and remembered how to be compassionate and remembered humanity over politics, and we don’t have that any more," she told CNN.

"And I’m sorry for Charlie Kirk’s family that they don’t have that, because it mattered.

A Republican lawmaker says she will introduce a petition to have the remains of Charlie Kirk moved to the Capitol Rotunda, if his family so wish.

"It is only fitting his life be remembered in the Capitol, where the freedoms he defended are enshrined," wrote the South Carolina representative Nancy Mace.

Some 14 people have lain in state or in honour in the Capitol since 2018, according to the Architect of the Capitol, the federal agency which oversees the building.

Those include former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush, former Senators Harry Reid and John McCain, and well-known evangelist Billy Graham.

Police have received over 7,000 leads and tips from the public into the killing of Charlie Kirk, according to Utah's governor Spencer Cox.

The governor said that was the largest number of digital tips received by the FBI since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

Authorities have also conducted nearly 200 interviews, he added.

The governor of Utah said the killer of Charlie Kirk will face the death penalty when he is finally caught and brought to justice.

Spencer Cox told reporters: "We've been working with our attorneys, getting everything that we need, affidavits ready, so that we can pursue the death penalty in this case.

"And that will happen here in the state of Utah."

Vigils for Charlie Kirk have been held across the US, as people mourn his death.

Crowds gathered at Orem City Center Park, Utah - just a short drive away from the university campus where he ws tragically killed.

People lit candles and waved flags as they paid their respects to the slain conservative activist.

Charlie Kirk’s body has been taken from Air Force Two to Hansen Mortuary chapel in Phoenix, Arizona.

The motorcade from the airport was followed by local news helicopters.

Donald Trump told reporters earlier that he believed the funeral would take place this weekend, and that he expects to attend.

A former FBI agent says he believes the killer of Charlie Kirk was probably a hunter.

Dennis Franks told the BBC News Channel: "It required a lot of confidence to be able to take the shot, to execute and hit where it did."

Given the area he was operating in and his "confidence", the former agent concluded it was very likely the gunman was a hunter.

On Thursday, the FBI announced a huge $100,000 (£74,000) reward for information leading to an arrest and released two photos of a suspect.

The chilling video footage shows a man, apprently young, wearing a hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeved black shirt decorated with an eagle superimposed over an American flag.

Detectives searching for the killer of Charlie Kirk have found a hunting rifle with ammunition inscribed with messages promoting "transgender and anti-fascist ideology", according to police updates.

The Telegraph reports that authorities believe the lethal sniper fired a single deadly shot at 31 year old Kirk, before leaping from a rooftop overlooking the event at Utah Valley University and disappearing into thick woodland.

The shooting of the conservative political activist has sent shockwaves through the country.

The US president announced his intention to posthumously honour Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.

"Charlie was a giant of his generation ... an inspiration to millions of people," Mr Trump said at a 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon on Thursday.