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Charges are expected to be formally filed next week against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was arrested for the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at the University of Utah.
Robinson, a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program in Utah, was arrested 33 hours after the murder, after family members and a pastor friend of the family contacted authorities, indicating his involvement in the crime.
"We got him," Governor Spencer Cox declared at the beginning of the press conference announcing the arrest.
While Kirk's murder has caused deep divisions in American society, the perpetrator's motives remain unclear. Robinson's ideological identity also remains controversial, as it is difficult to clearly determine whether he has a structured affiliation.
In the hours following the shooting, authorities analyzed surveillance footage and Discord profile data that helped link Robinson to the crime. Investigators also collected additional forensic evidence from his home in St. George, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from his parents' home near the Arizona border.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the killing an “attack on everyone” and compared it to political assassinations in the US in the 1960s. He declined to comment on Robinson’s motive, but revealed that some of the bullets found at the scene had messages engraved on them, such as: “Here, fascist! SHUT UP!” “I think the message speaks for itself,” he said.
According to official documents, Robinson was registered as a voter but not affiliated with any political party. However, a relative told investigators that the 22-year-old had recently become increasingly politicized and had expressed strong displeasure with Charlie Kirk and his ideas.
Following the event, Republican Party figures, including President Donald Trump, have accused the left of inciting hatred against conservatives, saying that liberal rhetoric is inciting violence against them.
Democrats, on the other hand, have condemned political violence and called for stricter gun control laws. They accuse Trump of demonizing political opponents, judges and the media through his speeches.
Rachel Kleinfeld, a researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Reuters that the messages engraved on the cartridges could indicate that Robinson was affiliated with the "Groyper" movement, a far-right current linked to radical American commentator Nick Fuentes.
According to her, this movement includes racist ideas, against the LGBTQ+ community and uses irony and memes to spread its messages. Although they are considered far-right, they often criticize the policies of the traditional right, which they say are not "conservative enough."
Kleinfeld points out that many perpetrators of political violence do not clearly belong to one ideological side, but rather pursue a mix of conspiratorial ideas and mental health issues.
" It wouldn't be surprising at all if this person turned out to be a member of the far right, or even someone with mixed, uncategorisable ideas ," she added.
She emphasizes that it is more important how society experiences the event than the personal beliefs of the perpetrator. “If we continue to point fingers at each other – whether for left-wing beliefs, right-wing beliefs, or simply for instability, this will only fuel more violence.”
Charlie Kirk's killing comes at a sensitive time for the US, with a sharp increase in political violence since January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. According to a Reuters analysis, there have been more than 300 incidents of politically motivated violence since then.
Donald Trump has survived two assassination attempts, while Democratic politicians have also been targeted. In April, an arsonist broke into the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro while his family was inside.
Earlier this year, a gunman posing as a Minnesota police officer killed Democratic Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and shot Democratic Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
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