US authorities on Friday apprehended and identified the suspect in the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
The FBI said a family member of the suspect contacted a family friend, who then reached out to authorities with information that Robinson had confessed.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox added that family members recalled a recent dinner during which Robinson had mentioned Kirk’s upcoming talk in Utah, saying “he didn’t like him or the viewpoints he had.”
Robinson was registered to vote with no party affiliation, CNN reported, but a family member told investigators that he “had become more political in recent years.” Authorities said there were anti-fascist messages engraved on ammunition found along with a rifle near the site of the shooting.
Robinson was apprehended after a manhunt in Utah, two days after Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at a campus event there.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was highly influential in helping Trump rally young voters in the 2024 election.
Cox said the state will seek the death penalty in his murder, comments that Trump echoed in an interview.