Kirk assassination suspect Tyler Robinson briefly encountered police hours after shooting, sources say

The man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university on Sept. 10 allegedly came into brief contact with officers stationed near the crime scene about six hours after the shooting, according to two law enforcement sources.

Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with capital murder and other counts in the case. Authorities say he fired a single bullet that struck Kirk, a father of two, while Kirk spoke to a crowd at a campus event. After the shooting, Robinson reportedly fled the area and dumped the Mauser rifle believed to have been used in the crime. Investigators later say he returned to the wooded area where the weapon was found and briefly interacted with officers guarding the site, a development that Fox News cited citing unnamed law enforcement sources. The specifics of that contact—whether officers recognized him or simply saw him in the vicinity—were not disclosed.

The timeline shows Robinson then drove about 250 miles south to his home in St. George, Utah, and remained at large for nearly two days. He was ultimately apprehended after being handed over by his father and a local minister, rather than through direct police intervention. Prosecutors have described a pervasive breakdown of the suspect’s earlier identity: police and court records indicate he is a college dropout who, in the year prior, shifted his political views toward the radical left.

Charging documents detail that after gunning Kirk down, Robinson texted his transgender partner, admitting the act and saying he had “enough of his hatred.” Investigators say the message added to the evidence of premeditation in the case. The case file also portrays Robinson’s family as a critical, albeit involuntary, conduit to his capture: his mother reportedly saw a police photo released to the public, immediately suspected her son, and alerted her husband. The father then sought a direct image of his son to confirm his suspicions, but Robinson reportedly did not respond to that request.

During a later phone call with his parents, Robinson allegedly indicated he was the shooter and discussed suicide as an alternative to jail. His parents say they persuaded him to meet with them, and he ultimately surrendered to authorities without a direct confrontation with police. He appeared in court wearing an anti-suicide vest and faces seven counts, including capital murder, in connection with Kirk’s death.

Kirk was remembered by tens of thousands at a memorial service in Arizona on Sunday. His widow, Erika Kirk, spoke of forgiveness, telling the crowd that she forgave him “because it’s what Christ did,” and added that “the answer to hate is not hate.” The service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale drew a reception led by former President Donald Trump, who told attendees that Kirk was “a martyr now for American freedom” and praised Kirk’s legacy as part of the rallying moment for his supporters in attendance. Trump closed the program as the final speaker in a program that drew a crowd estimated in the tens of thousands.

The case has intensified public scrutiny of political rhetoric and violence surrounding conservative activism, particularly in the wake of Kirk’s death. Utah and federal authorities have urged calm and reminded the public that detectives will pursue all available evidence to determine the full circumstances surrounding the shooting and Robinson’s subsequent actions. As prosecutors advance the case, defense counsel are expected to challenge the evidence and the timeline presented by the state, while the Kirk family and supporters continue to seek answers and accountability for the loss of a controversial public figure.