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A former federal law enforcement official told Fox News Digital that while the FBI likely used basic gumshoe tactics to track Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson probably had no real plan for his escape.
Robinson was on the loose for 33 hours after shooting and killing Kirk on Sept. 10 at a Turning Point USA event on the campus of Utah Valley University. What he did during that timeframe largely remains a mystery, though Fox News Digital learned Thursday that he had an encounter with law enforcement near the campus at around 6:30 p.m. the evening of the shooting.
“We don’t have someone acting rationally,” Michael Tabman, former special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, said of Robinson. “He was acting irrationally, and again, I don’t think he had a plan.”
Booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)
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Tabman told Fox News Digital that despite meticulously planning the shooting and carrying it out, he would likely have been disoriented by the gravity of his actions in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
“I think it puts him in this state of confusion,” said Tabman. “‘What did I just really do?’ He just killed somebody, now he’s like, ‘Wow, what did I just do? What do I do now?’”
“So I don’t think he had a plan,” Tabman continued. “I think he knew he’d be caught. I think he was just kind of hanging around waiting to get caught.”
A text message discussion between Robinson and his transgender partner, Lance Twiggs, indicated that Robinson remained in Orem, the town where UVU is located, for some time after the shooting. Eventually, he drove south to St. George, Utah, his hometown, after three-and-a-half hours away.
A grey Dodge Challenger parked in the driveway of Tyler Robinson’s family home in Washington, Utah, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. Robinson reportedly drove a grey Dodge Challenger to UVU on the day he is alleged to have assassinated Charlie Kirk. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
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It is unclear what he did when he was in St. George, but at some point on Sept. 11, his parents recognized him from photographs released by the FBI. They, in concert with the local Washington County Sheriff’s Office, convinced him to peacefully surrender at around 10:00 p.m. that night.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby said at a news conference last week 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 he would be caught and was afraid of a SWAT raid on his home. He was also afraid of being shot by the police, the sheriff said, and negotiated a “gentle” surrender.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby held a news conference in Hurricane, Utah, in relation to the Charlie Kirk assassination investigation. (Pool / KSTU)
Tabman says Robinson was likely panicking during the 33 hours on the run.
“We know that something breaks in the mind and [he] says, ‘I’m going to do this,'” Tabman said, referencing Robinson’s state of mind. “But I don’t think they think of the consequences, which is why, often I think, they commit suicide. I don’t know that suicide is always planned, as much as like, ‘what have I done? There’s no hope for me, I might as well just kill myself.'”
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“Same thing with [Robinson],” Tabman continued. “I don’t think he knew what to do because he came home, you know, his dad approached him, he didn’t run. So, how strong was his motivation to get away?”
During his first court appearance, which took place virtually, Robinson wore what was described as a “restrained garment” or a “suicide watch smock, designed not to tear.”
Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, appears by camera before 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, for his initial court appearance in Provo, Utah. (Scott G Winterton/Pool via Deseret News)
As for the investigation during the day-and-a-half after Kirk’s assassination, Tabman said the FBI used simple tactics to track him.
“It’s really not quite as complicated or, you know, investigative magic as you might think,” said Tabman. “So it was a combination of some cyber investigation and some gumshoe investigation.”
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Tabman said that the FBI typically goes through tips reported by the public regarding suspicious behavior, and it only really takes one credible lead to get the ball rolling.
From there, the FBI knocks on doors collecting surveillance footage from homes and businesses in an attempt to recreate a route that a suspect may have taken.
“This really won’t be that complex of a deal to put his travels together,” said Tabman.