Is Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Tyler Robinson Democrat Or Republican? What We Know So Far

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A young man suspected of killing US President Donald Trump's ally, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, on the Utah Valley University campus in the city of Orem was taken into custody on Friday.

The accused has been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson . He had confessed to a family friend or "implied that he had committed the murder". That friend later informed the Washington County sheriff's office on Thursday.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said on Friday: "We got him."

Also Read | Who is Matt Robinson, father of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler? Was Tyler Robinson a Democrat
or a Republican?

According to social media speculations, Robinson was a Republican voter.

However, officials revealed that Robinson had become more political over the days, but they did not reveal the suspect's political affiliation.

Governor Cox said that a family member interviewed by investigators said Robinson had become more political recently and spoke in a disparaging manner about Kirk .

What we know so far

31-year-old Kirk was shot in the neck on September 10 as he spoke at an outdoor student event before a crowd of more than 3,000 at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 64 kilometres south of Salt Lake City.

He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Robinson was taken into custody on Thursday night, about 33 hours after Kirk's murder, FBI Director Kash Patel said at a press conference.

Patel said the FBI's rapid push for public assistance generated more than 11,000 leads in two days.

Also Read | US Begins Fierce Crackdown On Immigrants After Charlie Kirk Killing

“The arrest is a testament to the dedication of good law enforcement and the strength of our partnerships,” he said.

The FBI on Thursday recovered what they believed was the high-powered rifle used to kill Kirk and released photos of the person of interest.

Investigators spoke to Robinson's roommate, who showed them comments Robinson had made on chat and streaming platform Discord, discussing retrieving a rifle from a drop point and then leaving the rifle in a bush wrapped in a towel. This matched the description of the gun that authorities had recovered after the shooting.

Governor Cox called the fatal attack a“watershed” in American history, referencing the political violence of 1968.

“The question is, what kind of watershed,” he said.

“This is certainly about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk, but it is also much bigger than an attack on an individual, it is an attack on all of us,” said Cox, who has called for the death penalty in the case.

Cox added that speculation about writing found on shell casings at the scene was correct, and investigators were reviewing those markings as part of the case.

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