Tyler Robinson’s Dad Allegedly Helped Turn Him in for the Shooting of Charlie Kirk
Tyler Robinson’s family has been very helpful in linking him to Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
Published Sept. 12 2025, 12:06 p.m. ET
Sept. 12, 2025, marked a day of closure, at least to some extent, as officials took into custody the alleged shooter accused of killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in the middle of an event at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Sept. 10. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is now being held for the fatal shooting. While there’s still much to learn about him and his motive, information is already pouring in, giving police enough evidence to arrest him.
What we know so far is that Robinson was not a UVU student, per the BBC, and had lived with his family for some time in Washington County. He’s still a Utah resident, though at the time of the alleged shooting, he was reportedly rooming with someone else. We also know a bit about his parents, mainly because his father is believed to have helped police identify him as the suspected shooter. Here’s what we know about them.
Who are the parents of Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter of Charlie Kirk?
There’s been a lot of information going around about Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter of Charlie Kirk, especially when it comes to his parents, causing some confusion about who they are and what they do. Robinson’s parents have been identified as Amber Jones Robinson and Matt Robinson, according to Newsweek, and it appears his father, Matt, helped turn his son in.
Speaking with Fox & Friends on the morning of Sept. 12, President Donald Trump mentioned that a suspect had been taken into custody. He also said there was a minister involved, who was friends with a top U.S. Marshal, but added, “a father got involved who said, ‘We’ve got to go in.’” Some have speculated this means Robinson’s father is a minister, but Trump’s comments seem to separate the two.
That interpretation aligns with what Utah Governor Spencer Cox said during a press conference after Robinson’s arrest. Cox explained that on the evening of Sept. 11, a family member contacted a family friend, who then reached out to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed or implied he committed the shooting. This information was later relayed to the FBI.
So, it’s possible the family member is Robinson’s father and the family friend is the minister. That theory makes sense, but it hasn’t been confirmed.
This chain of information led investigators to Robinson in the early morning hours of Sept. 12, and they confirmed he was dressed “in consistent clothing with those surveillance images.”
Tyler Robinson’s family told police that he had “become more political in recent years.”
According to Governor Spencer Cox, investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson’s (it’s not clear which one) who said that he had become more political in recent years. The family member referenced a recent dinner encounter prior to the Sept. 10 incident, during which Robinson was talking with another family member and mentioned that Kirk was coming to UVU.
In that conversation, Robinson reportedly explained why he didn’t like Kirk and criticized his viewpoints. The governor said, “The family member said that Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”
Investigators also spoke with his roommate, who said that Robinson had made a joke on Discord in which he referenced retrieving a rifle from a drop point. The messages reportedly included details about bullets being engraved and the weapon being wrapped in a towel, elements of the case that authorities have since confirmed.