Surveillance footage showing the suspected killer of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk fleeing across a rooftop at Utah Valley University was released by the FBI on Thursday evening. The video, taken from a distance, did not reveal the suspect’s identity, but it was accompanied by high-definition images that quickly led to the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
According to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a close relative—believed to be Robinson’s father, a veteran sheriff’s deputy—confronted him after seeing the images, elicited a confession, and alerted a family friend who turned him in. The arrest came just three hours after the footage was made public.
FBI Director Kash Patel praised the rapid progress, noting that over 11,000 tips were received by Friday morning. He said the case could not have been solved without partnership with state and local authorities. The FBI had earlier faced criticism after twice announcing and then retracting that a suspect had been caught.
Governor Cox revealed that investigators pieced together evidence from interviews with family and a roommate, including Discord messages where Robinson discussed retrieving a rifle from a drop point and leaving it wrapped in a towel in a bush. A Mauser model 98 bolt-action rifle with a scope was later recovered at the scene.
