A police mugshot shows Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.
A police mugshot shows Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

WASHINGTON CITY, Utah – The suspected shooter who killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a college speaking event in Utah confessed to a family member and is in custody, authorities said Friday morning.

The shooter was identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, said Gov. Spencer Cox. He was taken into custody after a family member contacted a family friend, who told authorities Robinson had "confessed to them or implied that he committed the incident." Authorities gathered in Orem, Utah, tied him to the crime through a review of online messages, interviews with his family members and friends, and surveillance video.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we got him," Cox said.

Robinson was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

"The suspect was apprehended in a historic time period," he said. Patel also said that, as of Friday morning, "over 11,000 leads" were called into the FBI.

President Donald Trump first announced the suspect’s capture in an appearance on Fox and Friends earlier Friday.

The news caps a frantic search after authorities, as recently as Thursday evening, said they had "no idea" where the suspect might be.

In a plea to the public for help, authorities released new footage and enhanced still images of the suspected shooter. The video, released Thursday night, showed a person running across the rooftop of the building from which the fatal round was fired before climbing down and dropping to the ground.

Kirk, 31, was killed by a single gunshot on Wednesday afternoon while speaking in front of some 3,000 people as part of his "American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. Kirk was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck, causing students and visitors to flee in panic.

Very quiet, musical, few friends, from a churchgoing family

The family of Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk's slaying, lives in a two-story gray house in Washington City, Utah, just across the Virgin River from St. George. A pickup truck and a Dodge Challenger sit in the driveway.

Several neighbors and people from the area said Robinson lived at home with his family and they'd seen him there regularly. The neighbors said they had been members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church, and remembered Tyler from school and church.

Kristin Schwiermann, who has lived two doors down for the last 16 years, said she has known the Robinson family for decades. She said she watched the boys grow up and often crossed paths with the family at church and school events.“He was always very quiet, had just a few friends,” she said of the suspect. “I think he was more on the musical side, very smart.”Schwiermann said she believes social media may have played a role in shaping his views.

“There’s just too much hate out there,” she said. “I know he wasn’t taught those things. I have no hate for him. Even though I loved Charlie Kirk, I’d rather try to understand what was going on in his mind.”

– David Demille

Investigators reviewed messages sent to suspect's roommate

Messages sent on the platform Discord were shared with investigators by Robinson's roommate, Cox said in a news conference.

The messages contained several references to a rifle, including that a rifle had been left behind wrapped in a towel in a bush and stating a need to retrieve a rifle. The messages also referenced engravings on bullets and a scope.

Investigators found the rifle wrapped in a dark-colored towel, he said.

Robinson ‘became more political in recent years': Governor

At the dinner table before Charlie Kirk came to Utah Valley University for the event at which he was killed, members of suspect Tyler Robinson’s family had talked in disparaging terms about the conservative activist, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at the news briefing.

“Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years,” Cox said.

Also, Cox said, a family member interviewed by authorities referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to Sept. 10, “and in the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU.”

“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.”

-Josh Meyer

What was written on the bullet casings found in the rifle?

Authorities said there were messages written on the fired casing and three unfired bullets found in the Mauser rifle allegedly used in the shooting.

The fired casing, according to Utah governor Spencer Cox, read, “Notices, Bulges, OwO What’s This?” The phrase references an internet meme tied to animated videos and furry culture. OwO references an emoticon, and “what’s this?” denotes cuteness or curiosity. It’s frequently referenced by video game streamers.

One of the unfired casings said, according to Cox: “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao.” The lyrics reference the anthem of the antifascist Italian resistance during World War II.

Cox said that another read, “Hey fascist! Catch!”

The third unfired casing, according to Cox, said, “If you’re reading this, you’re gay LMAO.”

-Davis Winkie

Trump will attend Kirk funeral

Trump will attend Kirk's funeral in Phoenix, Arizona, he said on Fox.

On top of a visit to the United Kingdom next week, the president said he will "also go to a funeral for a great gentleman named Charlie Kirk, who should not be having a funeral right now."

-Zach Schermele

A minister turned in suspect, Trump says

A minister with a friend in law enforcement turned in the suspect in Kirk's killing, the president said.

"Somebody that was very close to him said that's him," Trump said. "The person that was involved was a person of faith, a minister."

-Zach Schermele

Trump says he hopes the suspect gets the death penalty

Trump said he hoped the suspect in Kirk’s shooting receives the death penalty.

“I hope he gets the death penalty,” Trump said. “What he did – Charlie Kirk was the finest person.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has called for prosecutors to pursue the death penalty, which is legal in the state.

Trump on lawmakers canceling events: 'It's a dangerous business'

Trump urged lawmakers who have canceled events in the wake of Kirk's assassination to "go forward" while monitoring security risks closely.

"It's a dangerous business," he said.

He pointed to the attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year and suggested he could've had better protection.

-Zach Schermele

Charlie Kirk was a symbol for many young people. Now what?

Maybe they got sucked in when they saw him debating Kamala Harris supporters on TikTok. Maybe something he said about marriage sparked a reaction in them. Maybe his loud-and-proud brand of politics, no matter how controversial, gave them confidence.

Charlie Kirk, for many in the under-25 crowd, was a symbol. A hallmark of youth political organizing in the internet age. A person they revered or despised. Now, he's gone, fatally shot on a Utah college campus on Sept. 10.

For many Republicans, he was a culture warrior who could make inroads with young voters. For many Democrats, he was the epitome of Trump’s brand of combative conservatism. Across the political spectrum, young people are left reckoning with what his death means for their generation and grappling with how they feel about it.

- Rachel Hale

Watch the video of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect fleeing

Suspect 'blended in well with a college institution'

While authorities have not identified the suspect, they released new images of a person of interest wearing a black shirt with an American flag and an eagle, a hat with a triangle on it, sunglasses and a black backpack on Thursday night. Authorities also released security-camera footage showing a person going up stairwells to get onto a roof before firing at Kirk.

The suspect "blended in well with a college institution" and appeared to be of college age, according to Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason.

That person left palm impressions and "some smudges" on the building, Mason said. The video also showed the person crossing a street and moving into a wooded area near the Utah Valley University campus, where authorities said they found a "high-powered, bolt-action" rifle.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest.

Ex-Secret Service agent: Weapon found is 'goldmine of information'

Donald Lane, a former U.S. Secret Service agent with decades of experience in fugitive manhunts, told USA TODAY that the recovery of the rifle used in the killing of Kirk is a significant development for law enforcement.

"Recovering that weapon is absolutely huge," he said. "It's a goldmine of information."

Lane said experts analyzing the gun could discover fingerprints, DNA, or perhaps a serial number that could trace back to the shooter. He also noted other breakthroughs in the case, including palm and shoe prints discovered near the scene of the shooting.

- Christopher Cann

Authorities release photos of the person of interest

The Utah Department of Public Safety released more photos of the person of interest in Kirk's murder.

The agency released four photos and asked the public to report tips on the FBI website. The pictures show a man dressed in a black shirt, jeans, and a ballcap, and wearing a backpack.

US threatens action against foreigners praising Charlie Kirk's death

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau warned that the United States may take action against foreign nationals who glorify Kirk's killing.

"I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country," Landau said in a post on social media.

Landau's comments come months after the Trump administration introduced its new visa policy. Foreign nationals visiting or living in the country legally could lose their visa status if they violate the law under the new "catch and revoke" policy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in May.

In an email sent to USA TODAY, a state department spokesperson said that "this administration does not believe that the United States should grant visas to persons whose presence in our country does not align with US national security interests."

- Terry Collins

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect identified by officials in Utah: Latest updates

Reporting by Thao Nguyen, Jeanine Santucci, Joey Garrison, Christopher Cann and David DeMille, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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