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More details have emerged about how alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson was turned over to police while the manhunt for a suspect ensued.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby said at a news conference on Wednesday that he received a call from a former law enforcement friend telling him Robinson, 22, was the shooter. Robinson reportedly had suicidal thoughts, but was convinced by his parents not to harm himself.
Brooksby said Robinson knew that it was “inevitable” that he would be caught, and was afraid of a SWAT raid on his home. He was also afraid of being shot by the police.
Booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)
According to Brooksby, the call from his friend came in at 8:02 p.m. on Thursday.
“I could tell his voice was kind of shaky, so my first thought is, ‘who died?’” he said. “‘Like who’s he gonna tell me that died?’ And then I couldn’t fathom what actually came out of his mouth.”
“So he said, ‘hey, I know who Charlie Kirk’s shooter is. I know the family through religious association, and he’s in Washington County now, and we’re working to get him to come in voluntarily,'” Brooksby continued. “During that phone call, some information was provided about Tyler potentially having some suicidal ideation, [and] was en route to a remote part of Washington County. The parents convinced him not to do that and conveyed that they would stand by him and help him surrender peacefully.”
Robinson asked for a “peaceful, gentle” surrender, a condition to which the sheriff agreed in order to get him to turn himself in. He was described as “quiet and somber” upon apprehension.
Tyler Robinson appears virtually in Utah court on Sept. 16, 2025, to face charges in the assassination of Charlie Kirk. (Utah State Courts)
TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION
Brooksby’s office did not question Robinson while he waited for the lead investigators to arrive.
Speaking about Robinson’s family and roommate, the sheriff said “they need to lay low for a long time,” but did not elaborate further.
According to Brooksby, there is a Washington County Sheriff’s deputy with the last name Robinson who is not related to the shooter, as was initially rumored. He asked the media to make that point clear, as the unrelated Robinson continues to be harassed.
Robinson’s lover, who is transgender, lived in a townhouse with him for about a year, according to a relative who spoke to Fox News Digital.
“He hates conservatives and Christians,” the relative said. “He hated us. He was not raised that way, but he, over the years, has become really detached [and] been radicalized.”
Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
“He has obviously gotten progressively worse the last year or two,” the relative said, adding that he’s “always very angry.”
Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK
Kirk was hosting the first event in his “The American Comeback” tour last Wednesday when he was shot and killed.
A memorial honoring Kirk at the Timpanogos Regional Hospital is flooded with “We love you, Charlie” posters, flowers and American flags. More signs and flowers have been placed for Kirk on Utah Valley University’s campus. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)
Authorities say that Robinson climbed onto the roof of the Losee Center at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, and discharged one round from a rifle, striking Kirk in the neck.
Kirk, a conservative titan who traveled the country fostering debate and open dialogue with university students, was pronounced dead a short while later.
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Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.