Charlie Kirk assassination suspect opposed conservative activist’s views

The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk had expressed opposition to the conservative activists views and indicated that he was responsible for the shooting authorities said Friday as they announced an arrest in the killing that raised fresh alarms about political violence in a deeply polarised United StatesTyler Robinson 22 had become more political in the runup to the shooting and mentioned during a dinner with family that Kirk would be visiting Utah Gov Spencer Cox told a news conference The governor cited as evidence engravings on bullet casings found in the rifle that authorities believe was used in the attack as well as chat app messages attributed to the suspect that a roommate shared with law enforcementLadies and gentlemen we got him Cox told a news conference soon after the arrest was first heralded by President Donald Trump on the Fox News show Fox amp FriendsRobinson who was from Utah is believed to have acted alone and the investigation is ongoing Cox said He was arrested on suspicion of capital murder weapons and obstruction offenses He was expected to be formally charged early next week ahead of an initial court appearanceRobinsons arrest late Thursday capped a frenetic dayandahalf search that just hours earlier seemed stuck when authorities pleaded for tips and leads from the public The assassination captivated the public not only because of Kirks outsize influence in conservative political circles and his close connections with Trump but also because of the pressing questions it raised about the escalating toll of political violence that has spanned the ideological spectrumThis is our moment Do we escalate or do we find an offramp Cox asked making an impassioned plea for young people to bridge differences through common ground rather than violence Its a choiceNew details on evidenceAuthorities have yet to reveal a motive but they did describe evidence they said shed potential light on the slaying That includes engravings on bullet casings recovered from the highpowered rifle believed used in the attack including one that said Hey fascist Catch Cox saidIn addition a roommate shared with authorities 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 governor said A Mauser 30caliber boltaction rifle was found in a towel in a wooded area along the path investigators believe Robinson took after firing a shot from a distant roof and then fleeingThe clothes the suspect wore when confronted by law enforcement late Thursday were consistent with what he had on when he arrived on campus a day earlier and a family member confirmed that a drove a grey Dodge Challenger that surveillance video captured him driving to the universities Cox saidRobinsons father recognized him from the photos released by the FBI and told him to turn himself in Robinson refused at first but then changed his mind according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation His father reached out for help to their youth pastor who also occasionally works with the US Marshals and called the agency so he could turn himself inMeanwhile investigators continued to dig into the background of Robinson who was admitted to Utah State University where Kirk was shot on a prestigious academic scholarship according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter posted to a family members social media account However he attended for only one semester in 2021 a university spokesperson saidRobinsons address was still listed as his parents home and he is registered as an unaffiliated voter according to Utah state records He does not appear to have a prior criminal record The family lives in a suburb of the city of St George in southern Utah about a 35hour drive south of the Utah Valley campusFamily members of Robinson did not immediately return messages seeking comment It was not clear if he had a lawyerHe didnt deserve thisKirk was a conservative provocateur who became a powerful political force by rallying young Republican voters and was a fixture on college campuses where he invited sometimesvehement debate on social issues Kirk cofounded the nonprofit political organisation Turning Point USA based in Arizona He had had been speaking at a campus debate on the first stop of his American Comeback Tour at the time of Wednesdays shootingHe was taking questions from an audience memberabout gun violence when suddenly a shot rang out Kirk reached up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck Stunned spectators gasped and screamed before people started running awayTrump who was joined by Democrats in condemning the violence said he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom the highest civilian honor in the US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha visited with Kirks family Thursday in Salt Lake City Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship dating back to initial messages in 2017 through Vances Senate run and the 2024 election He wanted to help young people and he didnt deserve this Trump said Friday He was really a good personThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever