OREM, Utah (AP) — Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and eventually agreed to surrender only if it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.
Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he arrived with his parents to turn himself last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.
“He didn’t want a big
SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”
On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.
Robinson also faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday where a judge said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.
Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.
The Sept. 10 shooting that stunned the nation and exposed deep political divides also left the Utah Valley campus reeling. On Wednesday, students returning for the first day of classes since then gathered silently and stared at the barricaded courtyard where Kirk was hit while speaking to students.
Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus.
Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class even with sadness still in air.
“The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”
Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and classifying some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than work to bring people together.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.
“Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.
The shooting at Utah Valley happened more than a three-hour from where Robinson grew up near St. George.
That's why the sheriff in Washington County said he was stunned when a retired detective and a friend of the Robinson family called to say he knew the shooter's identity and they were trying to convince him to come in voluntarily.
“I couldn’t fathom what actually came out of his mouth,” Brooksby said.
The sheriff said he was told that Robinson was possibly suicidal and in a remote area of the southwestern Utah county. An hour later, Robinson arrived at the sheriff’s office where he was greeted by plainclothes detectives.
“He knew it was inevitable that he would be caught," said the sheriff. "If at the end of the day we accomplish him surrendering peacefully on his own, I’m going to make some concessions to make that happen.”
Investigators say that after Robinson fired the single fatal shot, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard for a note.
“I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” it said according to court documents.
After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson, asked if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson.
Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson's plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.
The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.
Also getting a closer look is security the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.
Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.
While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.
Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.
Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.
Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.
She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.
In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”
The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.
“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.
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Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.
