A Suspect Has Been Identified in Connection With the Fatal Shooting of Charlie Kirk

Right-wing pundit and gun rights activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while hosting at an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. Horrifying video of the event circulating online shows Kirk getting shot in the neck, as his head ricochets back and to the left. Students in attendance immediately ran screaming from the area.

One attendee told the outlet that he was surprised at the lack of security at the event. "No one checked the barcode or the QR code," said Tyler McGettigan. "There was no checkpoint to get in. It was literally, anyone could walk in if they wanted." Following the release of video footage of a man running on the roof of a building, then hopping down to the ground, police have made an arrest. Here's what we know about the suspect.

Two days after Kirk was killed, President Donald Trump appeared on Fox & Friends, where he broke the news that a suspect was in custody. "I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody ... everyone did a great job, we worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job," said the president.

The suspect has been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a Utah resident who has no known political party affiliation. The president went on to say that someone close to the suspect thought they recognized Robinson from the video. They then spoke with Robinson's father, who turned his son into a U.S. Marshal.

According to the Associated Press, investigators found a palm print, a shoe impression, and a high-powered hunting rifle along a wooded area where the suspect fled. The rifle, a Mauser .30-caliber rifle, was wrapped in a towel.

A spokesperson for Utah Valley University told NBC News that Kirk was shot from the university's Losee Center, roughly 200 feet away from where he was sitting. The event was organized by Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization founded by Kirk and Bill Montgomery in 2012.

Police went from building to building, escorting people off campus, reports The New York Times. Video of an older man getting arrested began circulating on social media, along with the claims that this was the suspected shooter. That was immediately debunked by various outlets, including The Times. Utah Valley University cancelled all classes and closed its campus.

News of Kirk's death was confirmed by President Donald Trump in a post to Truth Social. "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," he wrote. "He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"