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Photo: BNO News via Bluesky

Following a two-day manhunt, a suspect has been arrested in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, was identified by officials on Friday morning. Officials said he confessed to the shooting to a family member, and they have physical evidence linking him to the murder.

Here’s a guide, which we’ll keep updated, to everything we know about Robinson.

How was Tyler Robinson apprehended?

Utah governor Spencer Cox announced at a Friday morning press conference that a suspect had been arrested in connection with Kirk’s murder on Wednesday at Utah Valley University and named Robinson. Earlier on Fox & Friends, President Donald Trump announced that a suspect was in custody but did not name him.

“On the evening of September 11, 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,” Cox said.

According to Cox, investigators reviewed surveillance video showing Robinson arrived on campus at Utah Valley on Tuesday at 8:29 a.m. in a gray Dodge Challenger,. Cox said he was wearing a plain maroon t-shirt, light shorts, and a black hat with a white logo, and was wearing a similar outfit when investigators approached Robinson on Friday morning.

Cox said authorities found a rifle wrapped in a dark towel on Thursday in a wooded area on the edge of campus. It was a Mauser bolt-action rifle with a scope mounted on it.

Authorities released this mug shot of Robinson:

Cox said authorities believe the suspect acted alone.

“Only one person is responsible, and he’s in custody,” Cox said.

Here’s video of Cox’s full remarks:

Who is Tyler Robinson?

NBC News searched state and national public records associated with Tyler Robinson’s name and date of birth and found no prior criminal record.

The outlet also reported that Robinson’s last voter registration was on July 13, 2021, and “his political party is none declared based on public records.”

Are there any signs of a motive?

Cox said a member of Robinson’s family said he had become “more political” recently. The person said Robinson recently told him Kirk was coming to UVU, and they discussed how they did not like Kirk or his views.

Three of the unfired shell casings recovered from the rifle had inscriptions, according to Cox.

One said “Hey fascists! Catch” with an up arrow, a right arrow, and three downward facing arrows, an apparent video-game reference.

Another said “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao.” This is an apparent reference to a song used by the Italian anti-fascist resistance during World War II.

The third said, “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”

The inscription on the fired casing read, “notices, bulges, OWO, what’s this?”

These messages seem to reference video games and online memes, as the New York Times explained:

The list of messages on the suspect’s casings, as described by Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah, include apparent references to online culture and gaming. “Up arrow, right arrow, and three down arrow symbols,” as described by Cox, may be a reference a sequence of moves on a controller that release a bomb in the video game “Helldivers.” Another engraving, “Notices bulges OWO what’s this?” is a phrase used for trolling in online roleplay communities.

Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Tyler Robinson: What We Know

Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Tyler Robinson: What We Know