A Utah sheriff has shared shocking details about how Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin was identified and ultimately turned in.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby explained the events leading to the arrest of Tyler Robinson, 22, who was apprehended following the brutal killing of a conservative activist.
He said a retired detective and friend of his knew the Robinson family through ‘religious association’ and helped the suspect turn himself in.
‘Tyler’s family trusted this individual,’ he later explained about the retired detective. ‘They knew he was involved in law enforcement.
‘They believed they could approach this individual, who could reach out to me directly, allowing us to arrange a peaceful and calm surrender.’
Brooksby recounted that 33 hours into the search efforts—after the public execution at a Utah Valley University rally—he received an unexpected call from a friend around 8 p.m.
‘I can tell his voice is kind of shaky,’ Brooksby recalled during a Wednesday press conference. ‘So my first thought is, “who died?”‘
Brooksby was surprised to learn that his friend recognized the suspect from photos released by authorities earlier that day.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby (pictured) shared details about the night Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody as a suspect in the shooting.
Robinson (pictured) is believed to have held left-wing ideologies, which may have led him to allegedly kill the conservative firebrand
Kirk (pictured) co-founded conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA
‘I couldn’t even fathom what actually came out of his mouth,’ the sheriff said.
‘My friend said, “I know who the Charlie Kirk shooter is. I have a connection with the family through a religious group, and he’s currently in Washington County. We’re coordinating efforts for him to surrender voluntarily.”
The retired law enforcement agent allegedly said Robinson expressed ‘suicidal ideations,’ but his parents talked him down and said they would ‘help him surrender peacefully.’
Less than a minute into the heart-pounding call, Brooksby said he dialed Sheriff Mike Smith in Utah County – where the shooting occurred and the manhunt was raging – to alert him of the rapidly evolving situation.
He assured Smith that he trusted the source ‘with his life’ and that this tip was indeed accurate.
‘Within the hour, my friend drove Tyler and his parents to my office, where he was greeted by plain-clothed detectives,’ Brooksby went on.
‘He knew it was inevitable he would be caught,’ he added, which is why Robinson decided to turn himself in.
Brooksby also revealed some bizarre requests from Robinson as part of the ‘negotiation and getting him to bring himself in.’
Kirk (pictured) died at UVU, which was the first stop of his American Comeback Tour
Kirk (pictured with his family) was a co-founder of the political nonprofit Turning Point USA
Authorities agreed to treat the arrest as ‘delicate and soft as possible,’ the sheriff said.
That way, Robinson would feel comfortable enough to actually show up at the office, which he did soon after.
After the alleged murderer arrived at the Washington County office, he was held there for about two and a half hours until the lead investigators arrived.
‘Our job [at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office] was not to interview, our job was just to get him there,’ Brooksby said.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson has not been cooperating with the federal investigation into the right-wing father-of-two’s death.
But Robinson’s romantic partner and roommate, Lance Twiggs, 22, has been working with investigators to help them piece together what led up to the sinister attack.
The pair lived together in an apartment in Saint George in Washington County.
‘What we have learned specifically is that this person did not have any knowledge, was shocked when they found out about it,’ Cox told NBC of Twiggs on Sunday.
During a damning exchange, Robinson allegedly confessed to Twiggs that he murdered the conservative commentator, 31, because he ‘had enough of his hatred.’
During a damning exchange, Robinson allegedly confessed to Twiggs that he murdered the conservative commentator (pictured), 31, because he ‘had enough of his hatred’
Robinson allegedly confessed to killing Kirk to his romantic partner (pictured: messages shared by investigators)
The texts, which Utah County Attorney Jeffrey S. Gray read aloud during a press conference Tuesday, offer blood-curdling insight into the suspected plot behind Kirk’s untimely death.
As Gray read at the conference, Robinson told Twiggs to look underneath his keyboard for a note.
According to a photo of the message reviewed by investigators, it reads: ‘I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.’
Robinson also wrote how he had left his rifle in the woods and inscribed messages in the bullets.
‘I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpa’s rifle … idk if it had a serial number, but it wouldn’t trace to me,’ Robinson allegedly wrote.
Authorities said he urged Twiggs to delete the messages, and later said he was going to turn himself in.
‘You’re all I worry about my love,’ he allegedly wrote to Twiggs. He also asked his roommate to avoid the media and investigators, Gray said.
Robinson remains in jail without bond. It remains unclear whether he has an attorney.
Robinson and Twiggs lived together in a Saint George apartment (pictured: investigators searching the apartment)
Lance Twiggs (pictured) is cooperating with the investigation into Kirk’s death
Authorities say Robinson held a ‘leftist ideology’ and may have been ‘radicalized’ online before he was arrested for killing the MAGA influencer.
The murder suspect has been charged with capital murder charges for Kirk’s untimely death, which authorities said was a political assassination.
Robinson appeared in court via Zoom on Tuesday. He wore a suicide vest and spoke only to confirm his details during the hearing.
The suspect was seen repeatedly looking down, as he sat at the county jail wearing a green jumpsuit.
Prosecutors said they are seeking out the death penalty – meaning Robinson could die by firing squad – and have filed a protective order, preventing Robinson from approaching Kirk’s widow Erika.
Along with his grieving wife, Kirk leaves behind a four-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son.
When Kirk was publicly executed, he was visiting UVU as the first stop of his American Comeback Tour to debate college students across the nation.
He was mid-sentence, answering a student’s question about mass shootings in America.
