Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told NBC News’ Kristen Welker on Sunday that while the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s slaying came from a conservative-leaning household, “his ideology was very different than his family.”
The alleged gunman, Tyler Robinson, was taken into custody by the FBI late Thursday evening. Robinson, 22, implicated himself in the shooting to a family member, who told a family friend, who then alerted authorities.
“We can confirm that again, according to family and people that we’re interviewing, he does come from a conservative family,” Cox said on Meet the Press. “But his ideology was very different than his family. And so that’s part of it.”
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday. The conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder is survived by his wife, Erika, and two children.
During a press conference on Friday, Cox referenced a family dinner Robinson attended prior to
the shooting, during which he mentioned Kirk’s upcoming event at Utah Valley.
“They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate,” Cox said of the conversation.
The Utah Governor also noted messages, such as “Hey fascist! Catch!” and “If you read this, you are gay, lmao” on unused and spent bullet casings in connection with the shooting.
A former high-school classmate of Robinson told CNN that the alleged shooter supported President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, while an electrician who worked with Robinson a few weeks ago said he “wasn’t too fond of Trump or Charlie [Kirk].” Robinson is registered as an unaffiliated voter in Utah.
Cox added on Sunday that investigators will reveal findings from interviewing friends and family members of Robinson, as well as forensic evidence, when charges are filed on Tuesday.
