The alleged assassin who investigators say killed Charlie Kirk was obsessed with guns from a young age.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was identified on Friday as the accused shooter who killed Kirk during a rally held by the conservative influencer at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Social media posts from Robinson’s family, obtained by Daily Mail, depict Robinson’s long-standing interest in guns, showing him frequently visiting shooting ranges throughout his upbringing.
In a photo from his teenage years, Robinson is pictured with an M2 Browning .50-caliber machine gun, and another photo shows him with a scoped rifle.
Facebook posts from his mother showed Robinson and his two younger brothers at gun ranges and military events, both registered Republicans.
During Christmas in 2017, Robinson was seen with a new iPhone while his brother held a ‘build it yourself’ rifle kit, with their family dressed in matching red outfits.
In another image from Robinson’s mother’s social media from that same year, he was seen wearing a Donald Trump costume to Halloween.
On Friday, authorities, including FBI Director Kash Patel, named Robinson as the suspected assassin who fatally shot Kirk with a Mauser 98 bolt-action rifle from a rooftop approximately 200 yards away.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was identified on Friday as the suspected shooter of Charlie Kirk. Social media images show Robinson’s childhood fascination with guns, including a pose with an M2 Browning .50-caliber machine gun.
The alleged assassin was even gifted a ‘build your own rifle’ kit for Christmas as a child, and was often seen smiling in happy family pictures on social media
The suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination has been identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident
Law enforcement sources told Daily Mail that Robinson was taken into custody on Thursday night in southern Utah. He lives in a $600,000 six-bedroom home in Washington, Utah – about 260 miles south of Kirk’s assassination in Orem.
The alleged killer confessed to his father Matt, sources told Daily Mail. He reportedly told his father that he would rather kill himself than turn himself in, but was convinced to speak with a local youth minister who also worked with the US Marshals Service.
His mother, Amber Robinson, works for Intermountain Support Coordination Services, a company contracted by the state of Utah to help disabled people receive care. Both of his parents are registered Republicans, online records showed.
Robinson was a student at Utah State University on a scholarship but attended for only one semester in 2021, insiders confirmed to Daily Mail.
He faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Authorities said at a press conference on Thursday night that Robinson will face the death penalty if convicted.
At a press conference on Friday morning, Utah Governor Spencer Cox began his remarks by declaring: ‘We got him.’
Robinson seen in his mugshot
Kirk, seen moments before he was shot, was assassinated Wednesday on the UVU campus in Orem, Utah as he held a Turning Point USA event
Robinson was seen wearing shoes that appeared to match those worn by the suspect in images released by investigators during the manhunt
Cox described Kirk’s assassination as a ‘watershed moment’ in American history, but added: ‘The question is, what kind of watershed?’
He said that investigators learned from Robinson’s family that he had become more political in recent times, and had recently expressed his dislike for Kirk, describing him to his family as ‘full of hate.’
Cox said that casings from the weapon used to kill Kirk were found to have several anti-fascist messages engraved on them, including one referencing the WW2 Italian anti-fascist song Bella Ciao.
One engraving read ‘Hey Fascists, Catch!’ – next to an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol and three down arrow symbols – another read ‘OwO’, and a third read ‘If You Read This You Are Gay LMAO’, Cox said.
The governor added that Robinson’s roommate helped investigators by showing messages on Discord where the alleged killer talked about retrieving a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, and references to engraved bullets and a scope.
In one image from Robinson’s mother’s social media from 2017, he was seen wearing a Donald Trump costume to Halloween
Officials released images of the person of interest who was sought in the manhunt, seen wearing a black t-shirt with a bald eagle flying across an American flag
Robinson has two younger brothers, and lives in a $600,000 six-bedroom home in Washington, Utah – about 260 miles south of Kirk’s assassination in Orem
In other images from his social media, Robinson was also seen wearing shoes that appeared to match those worn by the suspect in images released by investigators during the manhunt.
Another image from Robinson’s mother’s on social media from 2017 showed him wearing a Donald Trump costume to Halloween.
Surveillance footage had been released showing a figure on top of a roof leaping from a building and sprinting into a nearby neighborhood after Kirk was shot from around 200 yards away.
The conservative commentator was hit by a single bullet while speaking to a crowd at the public university in Orem on Wednesday afternoon.
The father-of-two, known for his fierce MAGA views and thrilling debates with college kids across the country, collapsed immediately after being hit by the gunfire.
Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings mere seconds before he was struck. He was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
President Donald Trump led the tributes for the late political commentator. ‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’
