Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old student arrested and identified in connection with the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will be formally charged on Tuesday, authorities said.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. A bolt-action rifle was found nearby; Robinson was identified after police released surveillance photos and footage that allegedly showed him departing the scene.
Robinson was in his third year at Dixie Technical College at the time. At this point, there are more questions than answers surrounding the young adult accused of killing Charlie Kirk — here is what we know.
He grew up in Utah
Robinson and his family lived in Washington, Utah, and attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the area. He also attended Riverside Elementary as a child, where his 66-year-old neighbor Kristin Schwiermann worked as a janitor.
Schwiermann told the Los Angeles Times she was “shocked” by the 22-year-old’s involvement and added, “That’s not the kid I knew.”
Despite reports that paint Robinson as a loner, Schwiermann also insisted he had friends. “He was quiet, but he had friends in school, and he never caused problems,” she explained.
A classmate who attended high school alongside Tyler told USA Today he “was politically active and outspoken about people’s rights” and believed “both political sides were contributing to a country being in a worse place and not improving the world.”
His father recognized him
Robinson’s father, Matthew Robinson, realized his son was the target of the extensive, 33-hour manhunt following Kirk’s death after he saw images of Tyler online and on TV.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters Friday that a family member initially identified Tyler and then reached out to a family friend, who said Tyler “confessed to them or implied that he committed the incident.”
He held nonpartisan voter status
Tyler was registered nonpartisan. His father and mother, Amber Robinson, are registered Republicans.
Also during a press conference Friday, Cox said Tyler “had become more political in recent years” and had described Kirk as being “full of hate” — an opinion that was allegedly shared between Tyler and at least one family member.
Cox added that on September 10, Tyler and “another family member” discussed Kirk’s upcoming visit. “They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,” Cox said. “The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”
The bullets were inscribed with cryptic, internet-influenced messages
Tyler made a point of inscribing several bullets with references to memes and messages with deep roots on the internet. “Hey fascist! Catch!” one read alongside five arrows (one pointing up, one pointing right, and three pointing down); others were engraved with references to far-right online communities like 4chan (“notices, bulges, OwO, what’s this?”).
OwO is a reference to a meme that mocks furry culture (furries are a fandom subculture who are interested in anthropomorphic animals — animals that share human characteristics like walking and walking — and often dress as such animals and/or characters).
As reported by multiple outlets, the arrows that accompanied, “Hey fascist! Catch” match the buttons players use to spark a bomb strike in the video game Helldivers 2.
Tyler inscribed a third bullet with the words “Bella Ciao” — a reference to the WWII-era anti-fascist song also used in the Netflix series “Money Heist.”
Reports about his relationship status cannot be verified
On Sunday, Fox News correspondent Brooke Singman reported that unidentified “sources” told her Tyler lived with “his transgender partner.”
“The individual, who is a male transitioning to a female, is fully cooperating with the FBI,” Singman added. “Sources tell me the FBI had texts and other communications between Robinson and the individual that helped FBI authorities solidify that Robinson was indeed the shooter.”
The FBI declined to comment on Singman’s reporting when reached by TheWrap. Singman has not disclosed her sources or offered material evidence. The New York Post echoed Singman’s report, writing that a law enforcement source confirmed it to the outlet.
And the Daily Mail, citing an affidavit, said a 22-year-old who lived with Robinson in Utah gave cops incriminating text messages leading to his arrest.
Why Nick Fuentes is connected
Some have suggested Tyler may be affiliated with “Groypers” — a self-imposed nickname for followers of far-right commentator Nick Fuentes.
Fuentes, a Holocaust revisionist and white nationalist, was hosted by Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, though Trump later distanced himself from what he called an unexpected dinner guest.
The “Groyper Army” is an online movement built around Fuentes and his work, and that is represented by Groyper – a cartoon frog related to the “Pepe” meme. Kirk often described Groypers as extremists, and there have been frequent online clashes between Fuentes’ followers and those of Kirk’s.
He will be charged next week
Tyler was arrested on September 11 for probable cause of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice and is currently being held at the Utah County Jail without bail.
The FBI declined to shed more light on Robinson’s background Friday, but a spokesperson noted, “We are confident we have the right individual in custody, but we are still working to establish the full picture of who he is and why he acted.”
