A vigil for Charlie Kirk was held at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City after the conservative activist was shot at Utah Valley University on September 10. Photo / Getty Images
A top official has floated a possible motive for the assassination of US political activist Charlie Kirk during a public event at Utah Valley University.
Shooting suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, is being held without bail in a Utah jail on several charges including aggravated murder, according to officials.
“It’s very clear to us and to the investigators that this was a person who was deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Saturday (local time).
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Robinson had reportedly been living with his unidentified transgender lover at a home in Utah.
The partner is said to be fully co-operating with the FBI on its investigation into the shooting. Text messages and other communications the individual exchanged with Robinson, 22, helped federal agents nab the accused assassin.
The gunman fired a single, fatal shot killing Charlie Kirk, who rallied youth support for US President Donald Trump, during an appearance at a Utah university on Wednesday (local time).
Hundreds of agents from across 20 law enforcement agencies were involved in the hunt.
Concerns are mounting over whether Kash Patel is “the right man to run the FBI”, amid widespread criticism from current and former bureau employees and prominent right-wing commentators of his handling of the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Though Patel has lauded the efforts of his team in capturing Tyler Robinson within 33 hours of Kirk’s assassination, he has also placed considerable emphasis on his own role, twice stating that photos and video of the suspect were released at his demand.
“Against all recommendations, we demanded the video footage and enhanced stills of the suspect be released to the public,” the FBI director wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Robinson’s father, who ultimately turned him in to authorities, told law enforcement that he recognised his son in that released video.”
Accused Kirk assassin Robinson once bragged about his long-range shooting skills, a former co-worker said during an exclusive interview with the New York Post.
Robinson, 22, barely uttered a word while working as a first-year electrician on a new apartment complex in St George, Utah in 2023 – except for when the topic of guns came up, according to a 25-year-old electrician who worked alongside him.
“Right after Black Friday, I had just got done working and I was showing my supervisor the new pistol I bought,” said the co-worker, who asked to remain anonymous.
“We were out by the trucks, and then Tyler and another guy came over and we were all talking about what kinds of guns we were gonna get or had bought, and they started talking about their longest shots. Tyler said he made a 450-yard [410m] shot.
Donald Trump has once again blamed the “radical left” for the current state of affairs in the US, accusing the political contingent of blocking the nation’s path to healing after the death of Kirk.
“I’d like to see [America] heal,” the President told NBC News in a phone interview.
“But we’re dealing with a radical left group of lunatics and they don’t play fair and never did ... They don’t like what’s been happening. We’ve been winning very big.”
Trump made similar claims about the left exacerbating political violence in an earlier appearance on Fox & Friends, responding to co-host Ainsley Earhardt’s question about the presence of radical individuals on both sides of the aisle.
Kirk’s funeral is scheduled for September 21 at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals – and Trump has already promised to attend.
Turning Point USA invited supporters to join them “in celebrating the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend” whose “life was a testament to faith, courage, and conviction”.
The memorial is titled Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk.
“Charlie died doing what he loved: fighting for truth, for faith, for family and for America,” the conservative advocacy group said.
According to a tally by Reuters, at least 15 Americans have been fired or suspended from their jobs over their reaction on social media to the murder of Kirk.
“The total includes journalists, academic workers and teachers,” Reuters said.
A Secret Service agent was put on leave on Saturday (local time), as well as a junior Nasdaq strategist and an NFL team staffer.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also ordered staff “to find and identify military members and any individual associated with the Pentagon who have mocked or appeared to condone Charlie Kirk’s murder”.
A former classmate of Robinson, the suspected shooter, has described him as a “straight-A student” and a “really well-rounded and just a sharp, kind, respectful individual” who was destined for greater things".
“I always thought I’d see him more as like a CEO or something,” Jaida Funk told NBC News.
“Or like a businessman, some billionaire by 26 or some type [of] thing, rather than that’s transpired now ... I mean, [he was] the type of kid that reminds the teacher that they need to assign homework type thing.”
Robinson was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology”, a preliminary investigation revealed, according to Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
Cox said that Robinson’s political leanings had since become “very clear to us and to the investigators” in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
At a recent family dinner, Robinson had mused over the conservative activist’s first stop of his American Comeback tour at the Orem campus, which was about a three-hour drive from the alleged sniper’s home.
Despite not being registered with any political party, Robinson had discussed how he “didn’t like” Kirk or “the viewpoints he had”, adding that the now-slain 31-year-old Turning Point USA leader was “full of hate and spreading hate”, according to Cox and an affidavit.
The young man speaking to Kirk as a single shot rang out over the courtyard at Utah Valley University, ending the conservative activist’s life almost instantly, has broken his silence.
Hunter Kozak, 29, was part of the crowd at the open-air debate on Wednesday where Kirk was assassinated.
He was speaking to Kirk over a microphone when the 31-year-old was shot.
Kozak detailed the moment and what led to him being there in a video posted to social media overnight.
Erika Kirk has shared deeply personal and intimate images and videos that show her sobbing over the dead body of her husband Charlie Kirk inside his coffin.
On Instagram, she wrote: “The world is evil. But our Saviour. Our Lord. Our God. Не is so good. I will never have the words. Ever.
“The sound of this widow weeping echoes throughout this world like a battle cry. I have no idea what any of this means. But baby, I know you do and so does our Lord.
“They have no idea what they just ignited within this wife. If they thought my husband’s mission was big now..you have no idea. You. All of you. Will never. Ever, forget my husband Charlie Kirk. I’ll make sure of it.”
– news.com.au