Tyler Robinson, the man who allegedly killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk, dressed up as Donald Trump for Halloween, photos reveal. Robinson, 22, was pictured wearing the costume in a 2017 post shared online by his mother, Amber, when he was about 14 years old.
The killer is seen smiling widely for the camera while standing beside his younger brother, who was dressed as a hunter with a toy rifle strapped to his back. Robinson was arrested on Thursday night in southern Utah after reportedly admitting to shooting and killing Charlie Kirk, who died from a gunshot wound to the neck while speaking at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday.
Hate for Trump
Robinson, who was attending UVU on a scholarship, had been identified as the prime suspect and managed to avoid capture for about a day and a half before being caught. Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced the arrest at a press conference, saying: "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen — we got him."
According to Cox, Robinson's own family told investigators that he had grown "more political in recent years." They recalled dinners where he brought up Charlie Kirk's upcoming appearance at UVU and openly talked about why he disliked him.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox revealed that shell casings from the gun used to kill Charlie Kirk carried engravings with anti-fascist messages, including a reference to the Italian resistance song Bella Ciao.
One casing was marked with the words, "Hey Fascists, Catch!" alongside arrow symbols — up, right, and three pointing down — while another read, "If You Read This You Are Gay LMAO."
According to police, Tyler Robinson drove onto the Utah Valley University campus in a gray Dodge Challenger before fatally shooting the 31-year-old conservative activist. At the time, he was wearing a maroon T-shirt, light shorts, a black hat with a white logo, and light-colored shoes.
Cox noted that when Robinson was taken into custody around 10 p.m. Thursday, his clothing matched the description of what he had been wearing during the attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel called the quick arrest "historic," praising agents for ending the manhunt in just 33 hours.
Family's Online Presence
On social media, Robinson's family had shared glimpses of his life — vacations with his brothers, casual selfies, and posts celebrating his acceptance into college. He lived in a six-bedroom home worth about $600,000 in Washington, Utah, roughly 260 miles from where Kirk was gunned down in Orem.
Officials have not yet confirmed a motive for the assassination. Authorities said that Robinson could face the death penalty if found guilty.
His arrest came after an extensive manhunt that lasted more than a day and a half. During the search, investigators had offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
President Trump explained how the manhunt came to an end, saying that "somebody who was very close" to Robinson turned him in — identifying the tipster as the suspect's "minister" and "father."
"It was a minister who was involved with law enforcement... his good friend is a top US Marshal – and they took it from there," Trump said.
Trump also called for the death penalty in the case, while praising Kirk as one of the best people he knew. "Well, I hope he's going to be found guilty, I would imagine and I hope he gets the death penalty," Trump said.
"What he did, Charlie Kirk, he was the finest person that, he didn't deserve this. He worked so hard and so well, everybody liked him."
