Tyler Robinson seemingly had a bright future ahead of him. In 2021, the Utah native scored high on his entrance exams, earning a 4-year scholarship to Utah State University in Logan. His mother proudly posted a video on Facebook of him reading the acceptance letter aloud.

Tyler Robinson in a photo posted on social media. Photo: WSJ

Tyler Robinson in a photo posted on social media. Photo: WSJ

4 years later, the 22-year-old Robinson is the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist and ally of President Donald Trump. The student allegedly climbed onto the roof of a building on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem and used an antique rifle with a scope to shoot Kirk in the neck. The shot proved fatal.

Robinson surrendered to police at 10 p.m. on 11/9/2025, following an extensive manhunt. Authorities have not yet determined a motive, and investigators are exploring what led him to climb onto that roof and pull the trigger.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said a family member revealed Robinson had recently mentioned that Kirk was scheduled to hold an open-air debate with students at Utah Valley University. Kirk frequently participated in such debates, where he espoused conservative viewpoints such as supporting gun rights and opposing abortion rights and transgender rights.

"Robinson talked about why he didn't like Kirk and his views," Governor Cox said, without elaborating.

Robinson’s family told investigators that he had become increasingly interested in politics in recent years. Authorities said they recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon, along with spent shell casings inscribed with what appeared to be anti-fascist messages. According to investigative records, Robinson was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm resulting in serious injury, and obstruction of justice. He had no prior criminal record.

In Washington County, in southern Utah, where Robinson grew up, neighbors and classmates described him as a quiet, intelligent young man raised in a Republican household, with a particular interest in video games, comic books, and current events.

Keaton Brooksby, 22, a classmate at Pine View High School, recalled Robinson as generally quiet, but one day at lunch, the topic of the 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, came up. Most people weren't sure what had happened, but Robinson was.

"He kind of gave us a whole presentation on it," Brooksby recalled. "I just remember thinking, for a 14-year-old, he knew way too much about this.”

According to the Washington County Clerk’s office, Robinson was registered to vote in the state but did not affiliate with any political party and had never cast a ballot. His parents, both Republicans, held hunting licenses. Social media photos posted by the family over the years showed Robinson and his two younger brothers practicing shooting and posing with guns.

Adrian Rivera, 22, who took a carpentry class with Robinson in high school, said Robinson often hung around the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) area with other students interested in the military program. It’s unclear whether he was actually a member of ROTC.

Rivera said Robinson was a "huge fan" of Halo, Call of Duty, and other popular shooter games.

Robinson in his dorm room at Utah State University in a photo his mother posted on social media in 2021. Photo: WSJ

Robinson in his dorm room at Utah State University in a photo his mother posted on social media in 2021. Photo: WSJ

Robinson appears to have excelled academically as a teenager. His mother posted a photo of him graduating from junior high with a perfect GPA. In another Facebook post from August 2020, celebrating his son's senior year at Pine View High School in St. George, his mother mentioned he was taking 4 college-level courses, including Advanced Calculus.

"I have a headache for you, but you're excited!" she wrote.

Robinson received a $32,000 scholarship from Utah State University. However, a university spokesperson said he only attended for one semester, majoring in pre-engineering. Robinson was a third-year student in the electrical applied sciences program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, according to the school.

At the time of the shooting, Robinson was apparently living with at least one roommate in an apartment complex in St. George, about a 10-minute drive from his parents’ home. Police said they interviewed Robinson’s roommate, who showed them texts after the assassination in which Robinson described where he left the rifle and that he had changed his clothes.

Several neighbors at Robinson's apartment complex described him as reclusive, rarely seen outside. “He didn’t talk to anybody," said Josh Kemp, 18, who lived across the hall. "He and his roommate played loud music all the time.”

Oliver Holt, 11, who lived a few doors down from Robinson, said last week he had knocked on every apartment door in the complex asking if anyone needed chores done because he wanted to earn money for a new phone. When he encountered Robinson, Holt said he felt uneasy.

Diagram of the Utah Valley University campus where Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking. Graphics: GGE

Diagram of the Utah Valley University campus where Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking. Graphics: GGE

"He acted really weird," Oliver said. "He seemed anxious, nervous.”

Jaida Funk, 22, who attended elementary and middle school with Robinson, said they were both on the honor roll. Funk said Robinson had all the makings of a "teacher’s pet": punctual, polite, hardworking, and intelligent.

"He was the type of person that even if you weren't friends with him, you’d want him in your group project," she said. "He was definitely going to get the perfect attendance award.”

According to Funk, Robinson was passionate about computers. He wasn't the most popular kid, but he was well-liked.

"The way he carried himself and spoke to people, I thought he’d be a CEO or an entrepreneur. He had leadership qualities," Funk said.

But that potential future seems to have vanished for Robinson. Governor Cox said on 12/9 that Utah would seek the harshest possible punishment for Kirk's killer, and that the state has the death penalty.

"We will be seeking the death penalty. I'm working with the prosecutor to make sure that happens," Cox said.

Vu Hoang (According to Reuters, USA Today, AFP)