Chilling new CCTV footage has surfaced showing the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk walking near the Utah Valley University campus hours before the fatal shooting.
Walking Toward the Scene
The clip, obtained by TMZ, shows the alleged gunman at 8:07 a.m., casually strolling past a home in Orem, Utah. Wearing shorts, sneakers, and a black cap, his outfit closely resembles the clothes investigators say he wore the morning of the attack.
The FBI had previously only released images of the suspect in a black sweater and jeans, the outfit he allegedly wore during the shooting. A second clip from the same CCTV camera at 11:49 a.m. shows him walking the same path just minutes before entering the UVU campus, where Kirk was fatally shot.
Investigators say the two clips suggest he may have been tracing his steps as part of a planned attack.
The Shooting
Kirk, 31, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was struck in the neck during the first stop of his “American Comeback” campus tour. He was rushed to the hospital but died shortly afterward.
The suspect, 22, was later arrested after a desperate two-day manhunt ended when his father turned him in. Officials say Robinson has since refused to cooperate with investigators after being taken into custody.
Partner’s Role and Online Clues
Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed that the suspect had been living with a transgender partner, who is now cooperating with the FBI. The Sun previously reported Robinson had been seen kissing his transgender partner two weeks before the shooting.
The suspect’s family has also been assisting investigators, with his father telling a family friend about the alleged confession that ultimately led to the arrest.
Cox added that the suspect was active on Discord following the shooting, at first joking about being a “doppelganger” of the man in FBI-released photos before eventually admitting involvement. “It was all joking until… he admitted that it actually was him,” Cox said.
Mental Health Watch
The suspect is currently being held in the Utah County Jail’s Special Housing Unit under 24-hour supervision. Officials say he allegedly told his father he would “rather die than hand himself in.” Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Raymond Ormond confirmed he is being evaluated by mental health professionals.
A Nation in Mourning
Meanwhile, Kirk’s widow Erika has vowed to continue his mission, saying she will turn her “widow’s tears into a battle cry.” She shared how she gently explained his death to their three-year-old daughter, telling her: “Daddy is on a work trip with Jesus.”
Kirk’s funeral is scheduled for September 21, with President Donald Trump expected to attend.
The release of the latest CCTV footage underscores the methodical planning alleged in the attack and deepens the nation’s grief over a killing that has shocked America.
