(NewsNation) — Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin has been identified as Tyler Robinson, who authorities say confessed to shooting and killing the Turning Point USA co-founder during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Authorities identified Robinson as the suspect in a news conference in Utah on Friday, stating he allegedly wrote messages on the bullet casings. Authorities said the inscriptions on the bullet casings read:
“Notices Buldges OwO What’s this?”
“Hey fascists, catch,” followed by a series of arrows.
Who was Charlie Kirk? Conservative activist shot dead in Utah
“If you read this you are gay, LMAO.”
“Oh ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao,” which is a lyric from an antifascist World War II song, “Bella Ciao.”
Robinson, 22, was not a student at Utah Valley University. His family turned him in to law enforcement and he is in custody.
Tyler Robinson. Courtesy Office of Governor Cox
“The motivation is also very clear, as the scribing on the bullet casings and the suspect’s own rants made it known that he models himself as an anti-fascist, similarly to or actually a part of the terrorist group #ANTIFA,” Former Navy SEAL and FBI special agent, Jonathan Gilliam, told NewsNation
What was the gun used in the Charlie Kirk shooting
The gun used in the shooting was a 30-06 bolt-action rifle, which was unique and had a scope, authorities said Friday.
The 30-06 is a powerful rifle popular for big game hunting like elk and moose.
Law enforcement officer Shannon Sommerville told NewsNation that “The rifle is a high-power hunting rifle with an effective range of approximately 500 yards,” adding, “Yes, that gun can be purchased at any sporting goods store.”
Robinson’s roommate showed investigators messages on the social media account Discord about leaving the rifle for Robinson at a drop point in a bush, as well as the engravings on the bullets, authorities said Friday.
Parallels between Charlie Kirk assassination and attempts on Trump’s life
Gilliam drew comparisons between Kirk’s assassination and the two attempts on President Donald Trump’s life last year.
Trump believed Charlie Kirk ‘could’ve been president some day’: CNBC’s Joe Kernen
“As we saw, sharing the pictures led to thousands of tips, and ultimately, it was the shooter’s roommate that alerted authorities about concerning texts about retrieving a gun at a drop zone, as well as hatred for Charlie Kirk,” he said. “This is typical for investigations where a break in the case comes from friends or family, leading investigators towards an arrest.”
Gilliam said several questions still remain, including how well trained the shooter was, how he got on the roof of the university building and if Kirk’s security and local law enforcement did a proper threat assessment prior to the event.
“Overall, this was another example of poor threat assessment, terrible security and a leftist that utilized it to his advantage,” Gilliam said. “Same mistakes as both President Trump’s recent assassination attempts.”
