Kirk shooting suspect not cooperating, says Utah governor
A police mugshot shows Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of U.S. conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, US, in this photo released by the Utah Department of Public Safety on September 12, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
The man arrested in the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is not cooperating with authorities, but investigators are working to establish amotive for the shooting by talking to his friends and family, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said on Sunday.
Cox said the accused gunman, Tyler Robinson, 22, would be formally charged on Tuesday. He remains in custody in Utah. Investigators have yet to piece together why Robinson allegedly scaled a rooftop at Utah Valley University during an outdoor event and shot Kirk in the neck at long range on Wednesday.
Kirk, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and co-founder of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, was killed by a single rifle shot during the event attended by 3,000 people in Orem, about 40 miles south (65 km) of Salt Lake City.
The killing ushered in newfound fears of a spike in political violence in the United States and an ever-deepening divide between the left and the right. Robinson has not confessed to investigators, Cox told the ABC program "This Week."
"He is not cooperating, but all the people around him were cooperating, and I think that's very important," the Republican governor said.
One person who is apparently talking to investigators is Robinson's roommate, who was also a romantic partner, Cox said, citing the FBI.
Cox described the roommate as "a male transitioning to female," and said the roommate has been "incredibly cooperative."