The man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, a Utah native who had been living with his parents "for a long time", authorities said.
Robinson was taken into custody on 12 September after a family member recognised him in surveillance images, a development investigators described as pivotal in ending a nationwide manhunt.
That family member was apparently Robinson's father, who encouraged him to turn himself in, the BBC's US partner CBS News has reported, citing two law enforcement sources. The father then reportedly contacted a family friend who informed the sheriff's office.
At a press briefing on Friday announcing the arrest, FBI officials declined to discuss Robinson's background, political leanings, or possible motive, saying the investigation was ongoing.
"We are confident we have the right individual in custody," an FBI spokesperson said, "but we are still working to establish the full picture of who he is and why he acted."
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said a family member interviewed by investigators stated that Robinson had become "more political" in recent years.
The relative also said that during a dinner conversation before the attack, Robinson had discussed Kirk's upcoming event at Utah Valley University, according to Cox.
"They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had," Cox said referring to the conversation.
FBIPublic records reviewed by the BBC suggest Robinson had in the past registered as an unaffiliated, or nonpartisan, voter in Utah. His parents, Matthew Carl Robinson and Amber Denise Robinson are registered Republicans, according to state records.
Robinson was not enrolled at UVU, the site of the shooting.
In a statement, the Utah Board of Higher Education said Tyler James Robinson was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship programme at Dixie Technical College.
"He previously spent one semester at Utah State University in 2021 and earned concurrent enrolment credits through Utah Tech University while in high school between 2019 and 2021," it added.
Social media accounts indicate Robinson's father runs a kitchen countertop and cabinet installation business, while his mother is a social worker. The family is Mormon and active in the local church.
Investigators say Robinson was steeped in online culture, pointing to inscriptions on shell casings linked to the case.
Two
casings displayed apparent references to online trolling humour. The
inscription "notices bulges OwO what's this?" on a fired shell casing
may refer to a "copypasta" - a piece of text that is repeated over
and over again, often to troll people online. Another casing, that was unfired,
was inscribed with the words "If you read this, you are gay lmao" -
again an apparent reference to a trolling joke.
Meanwhile,
other casings could be interpreted as sympathetic to Antifa, or the
anti-fascist movement, a loose collection of far-left activists who have been
active in the US over the last decade and often demonstrate against Trump
policies and far-right groups.
One
unfired casing had the words "Hey fascist! Catch!" and an up, right
and three down arrows.
The
three down arrows alone could be a common symbol used for anti-fascism. As a
whole, the arrows could reference a sequence of control inputs in a video game
- although this remains unclear, and authorities have not yet released images
of the casings.
A
second casing was inscribed with lyrics to the song "Bella Ciao" that
honours World War Two-era partisans of the Italian resistance who fought Nazi
Germany.
Authorities
said Robinson also appeared to have been active on Discord, the social media
platform primarily used by gamers, but now also popular with other communities.
His
roommate reportedly showed investigators a series of messages on Discord from a
contact named "Tyler" referencing a rifle "drop point" and
instructions about retrieving and hiding the weapon.
Discord
later issued a statement saying his account had been suspended. "We have
removed the suspect's account for violating our off-platform behavior
policy," it said.
For
now, Robinson remains in custody as prosecutors prepare formal charges.
The
investigation into his background, motives, and potential affiliations
continues in what officials are calling one of the most significant political killings
in recent US history.