The widow of prominent right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has pledged to continue her husband’s work after authorities announced the arrest of his alleged assassin, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
Kirk, a close ally of Donald Trump, was fatally shot while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. The suspect was taken into custody following a two-day federal manhunt.
According to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Robinson was identified through surveillance footage and was subsequently turned in by his family after they recognized him from photos released by the FBI.
“We got him,” Cox said at a news conference, adding that investigators had reviewed additional video footage and identified Robinson arriving on campus in a Dodge Challenger on the morning of September 10.
Family members interviewed by investigators confirmed that Robinson drove such a vehicle.
Authorities described evidence that shed potential light on the slaying, including ammunition found with the weapon engraved with taunting, anti-fascist, and meme culture messages.
One bullet casing read, “Hey, fascist! Catch!” Cox said. A roommate shared messages from the chatting app Discord that involved a contact named Tyler and discussed a rifle wrapped in a towel, engraved bullets, and a scope.
The rifle used in the shooting was a Mauser .30-caliber, bolt-action rifle, found in a towel in a wooded area along the path investigators believe Robinson took after firing a single shot from a distant roof and then fleeing. The clothes Robinson wore when confronted by law enforcement matched what he had on when he arrived on campus.
Authorities have yet to reveal a motive, but Robinson’s family described him as becoming increasingly political in recent years. His father reportedly told him to turn himself in after recognizing him from the photos released by the FBI.
Robinson’s listed address is his parents’ six-bedroom home in a suburb outside the city of St George in southern Utah, about 3.5 hours from Utah Valley University.
Robinson was an honour roll student in high school who scored in the 99th percentile nationally on standardized tests.
He was admitted to Utah State University in 2021 on a prestigious academic scholarship but only attended for one semester.
He is currently enrolled as a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St George.
Kirk’s shooting has sparked widespread outrage and raised questions about the escalating toll of political violence in the US. Trump has ordered flags to fly at half-mast and praised Kirk, saying he was “like a son” who helped him with TikTok. “I’ve never seen young people go to one person like they did to Charlie,” Trump said.
In her first public remarks since the shooting, the deceased widow, Erika Kirk mourned the loss of “the perfect father… the perfect husband.”
“The evil-doers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said. “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
The remarks by Kirk’s widow echoed a very deep sense of personal loss and resentment towards the killer under a strict scrutiny. This experts say may stem from being a widow at a young age and the fact that her deceased husband was equally young.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox made an impassioned plea for young people to bridge differences through common ground rather than violence.
“This is our moment: Do we escalate or do we find an off-ramp?” Cox asked. “It’s a choice.” He emphasized the need for people to turn off social media, “touch grass,” and engage with fellow members of their communities.
The widow needs the support of all and Sundry especially those of the American people and government at this time of her grief.