A former federal law enforcement official told Fox News Digital that while the FBI likely used basic gumshoe tactics to track Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson probably had no real plan for his escape.
Robinson was on the loose for 33 hours after shooting and killing Kirk on Sept. 10 at a Turning Point USA event on the campus of Utah Valley University. What he did during that timeframe largely remains a mystery, though Fox News Digital learned Thursday that he had an encounter with law enforcement near the campus at around 6:30 p.m. the evening of the shooting.
“We don’t have someone acting rationally,” Michael Tabman, former special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, said of Robinson. “He was acting irrationally, and again, I don’t think he had a plan.”
Booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)
“Same thing with [Robinson],” Tabman continued. “I don’t think he knew what to do because he came home, you know, his dad approached him, he didn’t run. So, how strong was his motivation to get away?”
During his first court appearance, which took place virtually, Robinson wore what was described as a “restrained garment” or a “suicide watch smock, designed not to tear.”
Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, appears by camera before 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, for his initial court appearance in Provo, Utah. (Scott G Winterton/Pool via Deseret News)
As for the investigation during the day-and-a-half after Kirk’s assassination, Tabman said the FBI used simple tactics to track him.
“It’s really not quite as complicated or, you know, investigative magic as you might think,” said Tabman. “So it was a combination of some cyber investigation and some gumshoe investigation.”
Tabman said that the FBI typically goes through tips reported by the public regarding suspicious behavior, and it only really takes one credible lead to get the ball rolling.
From there, the FBI knocks on doors collecting surveillance footage from homes and businesses in an attempt to recreate a route that a suspect may have taken.
“This really won’t be that complex of a deal to put his travels together,” said Tabman.
