Investigators are now asking whether Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, may not have acted alone.
Suspicious Footage
According to sources, FBI agents are reviewing doorbell camera footage that shows a man walking near the Utah Valley University campus just minutes after Kirk was fatally shot. The individual, seen talking into a phone, could be heard referencing the shooting.
Detectives have not confirmed the man’s identity but are investigating whether it was Robinson himself or possibly someone assisting him. Officials had initially said the shooter acted alone, but stressed Friday that “all lines of inquiry remain open.”
The video, handed over by a local family whose property backs onto a wooded area near the scene, has raised fears that someone else may have known of or helped with the attack.
The Arrest
Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday night after his father, Matt, recognized him in FBI-released surveillance images. Matt confronted his son, who reportedly confessed but told him, “I would rather kill myself than turn myself in.”
He was ultimately persuaded by a youth minister, who also works as a U.S. Marshals task force officer, to surrender peacefully.
Authorities said Robinson drove more than 200 miles from his home in Washington, Utah, to carry out the shooting. He allegedly fired a single round from a bolt-action rifle while Kirk was addressing students at Utah Valley University.
Disturbing Trail
Investigators later found the bolt-action rifle dumped behind some trees at a property near the scene.
Discord messages linked to Robinson also referenced a “drop point” where a rifle would be wrapped in a towel, and that he had changed his outfit after the shooting. His roommate reportedly turned over screenshots of these exchanges.
A Nation in Shock
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, 31, stunned the country. The Turning Point USA founder and Trump ally was struck in the neck in front of a packed student crowd. He was rushed to the hospital but later died.
President Donald Trump announced Robinson’s arrest on a morning television show Friday, saying, “I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him. In custody. Essentially, someone that was very close to him turned him in.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, meanwhile, relayed that a family friend remembered Robinson saying days earlier that he “didn’t like [Kirk] and the viewpoints he had,” and also discussed the engravings investigators found on the casings.
Unanswered Questions
According to a court affidavit, Robinson was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice. A judge ordered he be held without bail.
