Officials have identified the person accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk as 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said at a press conference on Friday morning that investigators arrested and identified Robinson after analyzing surveillance footage, interviewing Robinson’s family members and reviewing online messages between Robinson and his roommate.

« We got him, » Cox said, standing with FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials. Robinson is expected to be charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA and an influential voice in the Trump administration, was shot and killed Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University, a public school south of Salt Lake City. His killing launched a multi-day manhunt among local, state and federal authorities.

The investigation and arrest

Cox said that a family member of Robinson’s — Robinson’s father, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation — reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident.

The governor said that investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson’s who said he had « become more political in recent years. »

« The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to September 10, and in the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU, » Cox said. « They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints he had. »

Cox said that investigators interviewed Robinson’s roommate, who showed authorities messages on Discord between Robinson and his roommate.

The messages associated with the name Tyler state « a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, » engraving bullets, « having left the rifle wrapped in a towel » and « a mention of a scope and the rifle being unique, » Cox said.

Discord confirmed in statement that Robinson had an account on its instant messaging social platform — which has since been taken down — but disputed Cox’s characterizations of the messages.

« The messages referenced in recent reporting about planning details do not appear to be Discord messages, » the company said. « These were communications between the suspect’s roommate and a friend after the shooting, where the roommate was recounting the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere. »

Authorities said on Thursday that recovered a « high-powered, bolt-action rifle » in a wooded area just off the of the university campus in conditions that match Robinson’s messages.

Cox said the rifle was Mauser 98 .30-06 and had a scope mounted on top of it. He added that inscriptions engraved on casings found with the rifle.

One of the inscriptions had the lyrics to the Italian folk song “Bella Ciao, » Cox said. Another read “Hey fascists! Catch!” with an up arrow, a right arrow and three down arrows. A third stated, « If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”

According to Cox, the inscription on the casing fired said: “notices, bulges, OWO, what’s this?”

The governor added that investigators also identified Robinson in surveillance from the Utah Valley University — where Kirk was killed on Wednesday — which showed him arriving to UVU at 8:29 a.m. in a gray Dodge Challenger.

When investigators approached Robinson Thursday, he « was observed in consistent clothing with those surveillance images, » Cox said. Surveillance images released by the FBI on Thursday show what appears to be a young, thin man wearing a black long sleeved T-shirt with an American flag on it, black sunglasses, an Adidas hat, jeans and converse sneakers.

NBC News’ searches of state and national public records associated with Robinson’s name and date of birth found no indication of the 22 year old having a prior criminal record.

Public records indicate that Robinson’s last voter registration date was on July 13, 2021, and his political party is none declared.

Robinson went to Utah State University for one semester in 2021, a spokesperson for the university confirmed to NBC News.

Kristin Schwiermann, 66, is one of Robinson’s neighbors, worked as a custodian at his elementary school and knew him and his family from church. She described him as being « very considerate, » « quiet » and « respectful. »

« He was a good kid, » she said.

Trump announced arrest on Fox News

President Donald Trump, who announced Kirk’s death on Wednesday, was again the first to share that the suspect in Kirk’s slaying was in custody on Friday morning.

« I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him — in custody … everyone did a great job we worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job,” he said in an interview on Fox News.

Trump suggested that the suspect’s father turned him into authorities.

« Somebody that’s close recognizes even a little tilt of the head, which nobody else would do, » Trump said « And somebody that was very close to him said ‘hm, that’s him’ and essentially went to the father, went to a U.S. Marshal. »

« And the father convinced the son, ‘this is it,' » Trump added.

Trump repeatedly warned throughout the interview that his information was preliminary, saying he is « always subject to be corrected. »

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Putin got the red carpet; Ukraine got no results. The Alaska summit, laden with expectations, delivered only disillusionment for those in Kyiv.

Many Ukrainians were angry to see the US rolling out a red carpet for Putin

  On Saturday night, countless Ukrainians stayed awake, anxiously awaiting updates from the Alaska summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. For many, there was a fragile hope that the talks might deliver the first steps toward ending Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine.

Others, however, feared that any agreement might come at Ukraine’s expense — with Kyiv pressured into territorial concessions. Within hours, it became evident that the summit had produced no fundamental change.

No Deal, Just a Show

   “There were no concrete results for Ukraine,” said Oleksandr Kraiev of the Ukrainian Prism think tank in remarks to DW.

“Thank God nothing was signed and no radical decisions were made,” he added. “The summit was an extremely successful information operation for Russia. The war criminal Putin came to the U.S. and shook hands with the leader of the free world.”

Kraiev argued that aside from Trump’s “deference toward Putin,” the meeting produced no answers to Ukraine’s key concerns. In his view, Putin manipulated Trump “with surgical precision,” offering flattering lines and feeding him exactly what he wanted to hear. In doing so, the Russian leader walked away with everything he sought from the summit.

The summit was a welcome return to the international stage for Putin

Ivan Us, a researcher at Ukraine’s Center for Foreign Policy of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, echoed that assessment. He insisted Putin never intended for the summit to bring peace. Rather, his true aim was to legitimize himself internationally and end his political isolation.

“For Putin, a joint photo with Trump was the prize,” Us explained. “He wanted to show the Russian public that the isolation is over, that sanctions aren’t escalating, and that everything is fine — even providing a boost to markets. For Trump, it was about projecting strength. He walked alongside Putin as a U.S. bomber roared overhead, the same aircraft that recently struck Iran. That was his signal: never forget which country remains the world’s most powerful.”

As if to underline the point, Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of Russia’s Security Council, declared afterward that a “full-fledged mechanism for meetings” at the highest level between Washington and Moscow had been restored.

“Important: The summit proved that negotiations without preconditions — even while the Special Military Operation continues — are possible,” Medvedev wrote on social media, using Russia’s official term for its war. “Both sides directly shifted responsibility for future results onto Kyiv and Europe.”

Despite international pressure, Russia continues its war on Ukraine

Uncertainty Deepens

   According to Ivan Us, the Alaska meeting left Ukraine no closer to peace. Instead, it fueled more confusion, with Washington and Moscow issuing contradictory statements about the prospect of a trilateral summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Moscow claimed Trump and Putin never discussed such a format. Washington insisted the opposite.

Zelenskyy himself later confirmed that he had received an invitation.

“We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia,” Zelenskyy posted online. “Ukraine emphasizes: the most important issues must be discussed directly by heads of state, and a trilateral framework is the proper one.”

The Ukrainian leader also announced that he would meet Trump in Washington on August 18.

“Ukraine once again confirms its readiness to work toward peace as productively as possible,” Zelenskyy said. “President Trump informed me of his discussions with the Russian president and the key points raised. It is vital that U.S. power continues to influence the development of the situation.”

Pressure Mounting

   Still, many in Ukraine fear Zelenskyy’s visit could expose Kyiv to new pressure from Washington.

“Any refusal by Ukraine could be portrayed as unwillingness to end the war,” warned Iryna Herashchenko, opposition lawmaker and co-chair of the European Solidarity party. She pointed to Trump’s suggestion that negotiations involved “territories in exchange for security guarantees,” adding that such rhetoric legitimizes Moscow’s demands.

Herashchenko also noted that Putin repeated his familiar line that “the real causes of the conflict must be eliminated” — code, she argued, for Moscow’s refusal to accept Ukraine’s existence as a fully independent nation.

A Temporary Win for Putin

   Political analyst Vadym Denysenko offered a different interpretation. He argued that Moscow’s attempt to trade Ukrainian territory for rapprochement with Washington ultimately failed. Still, he said, Putin managed to buy time.

“At Alaska, they agreed to negotiate,” Denysenko wrote on social media. “But Putin lost what mattered most: his maneuverability. He drastically limited his options and is sliding rapidly into China’s embrace.”

Denysenko predicted that unless tangible progress toward peace emerges within the next two months, the conflict will inevitably become part of the broader geopolitical chessboard between Washington and Beijing.

“In other words, the next genuine window for negotiations won’t come before the end of this year — more realistically, not until spring 2026,” he concluded.

 

A Summit of Signals, Not Solutions

   For Ukraine, the Alaska summit underscored the harsh reality that global power politics, not its own survival, dominated the agenda. Putin achieved the optics he wanted: standing shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. president, demonstrating that he was no longer isolated. Trump, meanwhile, staged a spectacle of strength without delivering substance.

The war rages on. Cities remain under bombardment. Soldiers on both sides continue to die daily. And for Ukrainians who stayed awake through the night, hoping for peace, Alaska was less a breakthrough than a bitter reminder: the fight for their future is far from over.

 

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I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents.

I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image, and the breath of that universal love which bears and sustains us, as it floats around us in an eternity of bliss; and then, my friend, when darkness overspreads my eyes, and heaven and earth seem to dwell in my soul and absorb its power, like the form of a beloved mistress, then I often think with longing, Oh, would I could describe these conceptions, could impress upon paper all that is living so full and warm within me, that it might be the mirror of my soul, as my soul is the mirror of the infinite God!

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now. When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and

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