Tyler Robinson has been named as the alleged shooter of Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, by authorities. Robinson reportedly admitted to the shooting at a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
During a press conference in Utah on Friday, officials revealed Robinson as the suspect, noting that he inscribed messages on the bullet casings. The inscriptions reportedly conveyed his intentions:
“Notices Bulges OwO What’s this?”
“Hey fascist, catch,” followed by a series of arrows.
“If you read this you are gay, LMAO.”
“Oh ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao,” which is a lyric from an antifascist World War II song, “Bella Ciao.”
Robinson, 22, was not a student at Utah Valley University. His family turned him in to law enforcement and he is in custody.
“The motive is made evident by the inscriptions on the bullet casings and the suspect’s own statements. He identifies as an anti-fascist, and his actions align with the ideology of the group #ANTIFA,” explained Jonathan Gilliam, a former Navy SEAL and FBI special agent.
What was the gun used in the Charlie Kirk shooting
The gun used in the shooting was a 30-06 bolt-action rifle, which was unique and had a scope, authorities said Friday.
The 30-06 is a powerful rifle popular for big game hunting like elk and moose.
Shannon Sommerville, a law enforcement officer, commented, “The firearm used is a high-power hunting rifle capable of an effective range up to 500 yards,” and noted, “This type of gun is available at any sporting goods retailer.”
Investigators were shown messages by Robinson’s roommate on Discord, a social media platform, revealing that a gun was left for Robinson in a bush. Additionally, there were inscriptions on the bullets, as confirmed on Friday.
Parallels between Charlie Kirk assassination and attempts on Trump’s life
Gilliam drew comparisons between Kirk’s assassination and the two attempts on President Donald Trump’s life last year.
“The sharing of these images led to thousands of tips, ultimately enabling the shooter’s roommate to inform authorities about suspicious messages regarding a weapon pick-up and intense animosity toward Charlie Kirk,” he highlighted. “Frequently in investigations, a breakthrough arises from friends or family, which guides law enforcement to an arrest.”
Gilliam said several questions still remain, including how well trained the shooter was, how he got on the roof of the university building and if Kirk’s security and local law enforcement did a proper threat assessment prior to the event.
“Overall, this was another example of poor threat assessment, terrible security and a leftist that utilized it to his advantage,” Gilliam said. “Same mistakes as both President Trump’s recent assassination attempts.”
