OREM, Utah — Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and eventually agreed to surrender only if it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.
Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he arrived with his parents to turn himself last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.
“He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”
On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.
Robinson also faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday where a judge said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.
Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.
The Sept. 10 shooting that stunned the nation and exposed deep political divides also left the Utah Valley campus reeling. On Wednesday, students returning for the first day of classes since then gathered silently and stared at the barricaded courtyard where Kirk was hit while speaking to students.
Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus.
Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class even with sadness still in air.
“The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”
The shooting at Utah Valley happened more than a three-hour drive from where Robinson grew up near St. George.
That’s why the sheriff in Washington County said he was stunned when a retired detective and a friend of the Robinson family called to say he knew the shooter’s identity and they were trying to convince him to come in voluntarily.
“I couldn’t fathom what actually came out of his mouth,” Brooksby said.
The sheriff said he was told that Robinson was possibly suicidal and in a remote area of the southwestern Utah county. An hour later, Robinson arrived at the sheriff’s office where he was greeted by plainclothes detectives.
“He knew it was inevitable that he would be caught,” said the sheriff. “If at the end of the day we accomplish him surrendering peacefully on his own, I’m going to make some concessions to make that happen.”
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson.
Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.
