By Peter Omopo | September 17, 2025
Court filings and witness accounts have revealed how Tyler James Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, confessed to the crime after his parents persuaded him to come forward.
According to documents cited by CNN, Robinson’s mother identified him after the FBI released surveillance photos of the suspected gunman. She told investigators the images resembled her son, though Robinson initially claimed over the phone that he had been “home sick.”
Her suspicions grew stronger when she and her husband recognised the rifle in circulation during the probe as similar to one gifted to Robinson by his grandfather.
At a press conference, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray disclosed that Robinson’s father pressed him to send a photo of the weapon. When the suspect refused, he suggested he might end his own life. His parents later convinced him to return home, where he admitted to the shooting, saying:
“There is too much evil, and the guy (Kirk) spreads too much hate.”
Text Messages and Note Recovered
Court documents also revealed that Robinson confessed in text exchanges with his roommate, who was also his romantic partner.
In one exchange, the roommate asked: “You weren’t the one who did it right?”
Robinson replied: “I am, I’m sorry.”
Investigators said Robinson had earlier instructed his roommate to check under his computer keyboard, where he left a handwritten note stating: “Well I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” A photograph of the note was later recovered.
Circumstances of the Shooting
Gray explained that Robinson opened fire on September 10, 2025, while Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings involving transgender individuals at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem. A bullet struck Kirk in the neck, narrowly missing several bystanders, including children. He collapsed on stage and was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Describing the killing as “an American tragedy,” Gray said Kirk was murdered during “the free exchange of ideas, the bedrock of our democratic republic.”
Parents’ Testimony
Robinson’s mother told investigators that her son had become more political in recent years, leaning left, supporting gay and transgender rights, and dating his roommate, “a biological male who was transitioning genders.”
On the evening of September 11, a day after the shooting, Robinson turned himself in to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with his parents and a family friend.
Federal Investigation
FBI Director Kash Patel informed a Senate hearing that investigators are reviewing communications involving more than 20 people who were in an online chat group with Robinson around the time of the attack.
Robinson now faces charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and discharging a firearm in the presence of children. He remains in custody without bail.
