Charlie Kirk was fatally shot by a rifle during his speech at Utah Valley University. Source: Getty / Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune

The killing ushered in newfound fears of a spike in political violence in the US and an ever-deepening divide between the left and the right.

“He is not cooperating, but all the people around him were cooperating, and I think that’s very important,” the Republican governor said.

Robinson, who is in his third year of the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College, a branch of Utah’s public university system, was captured at his parents’ residence, located roughly 420 kilometers southwest of the incident site, following a 33-hour pursuit.

State records show Robinson was a registered voter but not affiliated with any political party.