Charlie Kirk Shooter Confessed To Relative, Governor Says

OREM, UT — A suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk is in custody Friday, according to state and federal law enforcement officials. Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah, has been identified as the suspect arrested and accused of killing Kirk.

"We got him," Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said during a press conference announcing the arrest.

Robinson, who is currently in the Utah County Jail (Spanish Fork), has been charged with suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice. The charges carry the possibility of the death penalty.

Earlier Friday morning, President Donald Trump announced an arrest had been made while making a live appearance on Fox News. "I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody," Trump said on Fox and Friends, adding that he hopes Robinson gets the death penalty.

The Associated Press is reporting state and federal court records show no prior criminal charges against Robinson.

"The arrest is a testament to good law enforcement being great," FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Related: 6 Things To Know About Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk's Accused Killer

According to Cox, a relative of Robinson reached out to a family friend Thursday, saying Robinson had "confessed to them or implied that he committed the incident." The family friend contacted authorities, according to Cox, who said Robinson was not a student at Utah Valley University, where the shooting happened.

The family friend reportedly told authorities that Robinson had become more political in recent years, even mentioning Kirk was coming to Utah and that he didn't like him.

Authorities reviewed surveillance footage from Utah Valley University showing the suspect arriving on campus Wednesday morning in a Dodge Challenger and wearing a plain maroon T-shirt, light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light-colored shoes, Cox said. That clothing is consistent with what Robinson was wearing when encountered by investigators, he said.

Cox said a roommate of Robinson also showed investigators a number of Discord messages from the suspect, which included one with a drop point for the rifle used and another referencing the rifle being left in a bush. The messages talked of "a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel."

According to Cox, several bullet casings discovered by investigators had inscriptions engraved on them, including, "Hey, fascist! Catch!" and "If you read this, you are gay LMAO."

Cox reiterated the investigation is ongoing, but said there are currently no other suspects in the case and no information that would lead to further arrests.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University Wednesday. Video of the shooting, which has circulated around social media, show the Arlington Heights native being struck in the neck and slumping onto the ground.

RELATED: Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Shot Dead In Utah

Two other reported persons of interest were briefly detained after the shooting but later released, according to authorities.

Utah officials said Thursday night they're analyzing new forensic evidence in connection with the slaying as the manhunt into the shooter continued into the night.

The Utah Department of Public Safety released new digitally enhanced photos of the suspect earlier in the day, asking the public to examine identifying features such as his black shirt with an eagle in front of an American flag, Converse shoes, a black backpack, and his hat.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk Shooting Investigation — Forensic Evidence Emerges And New Video Shows Suspect's Escape

In addition, a new video shown by authorities during a press briefing Thursday appears to show the suspect running across the rooftop where he is believed to have fired the fatal shot Wednesday. The video shows the suspect jumping from the building before running into the nearby woods. Police tracked his movements from surveillance footage and found a rifle believed to be the murder weapon left in the woods.

Friday morning, Cox called Kirk's killing a political assassination, saying, "It’s also much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us, it is an attack on the American experiment … on our ideals," namely freedom of expression.

He spoke of the anger he and many others feel in the wake of Kirk's death.

"That’s the problem with political violence, it metastasizes, we can always point the finger at the other side," Cox said. "History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country, but every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us."

Cox said it will take up to three days for charging documents to be filed against Robinson, saying he anticipates that to happen early next week, at which time more details are expected to be released.

Patch Editor Fernando Haro contributed to this report.