Trump Reveals Suspect in Charlie Kirk Assassination Turned In by His Father: Utah Man Identified as Tyler Robinson

By: Fern Sidman

The reverberations of Charlie Kirk’s assassination continue to shake the nation, with President Donald Trump announcing on live television Friday morning that the suspect was turned in by his own father. Law enforcement sources confirmed to The New York Post that the accused is Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident whose identity had remained under wraps until Trump’s revelation and subsequent leaks to the press.

“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump declared during an appearance on Fox & Friends in Manhattan. The president, who said he was briefed just minutes before his 8 a.m. interview, emphasized the extraordinary circumstances under which Robinson was identified. “Somebody who was very close to him turned him in,” Trump explained, noting that Robinson’s father relayed the information through “a minister who was involved with law enforcement.”

The disclosure, which The New York Post reported within hours on Friday, added a startling layer of drama to what is already being called one of the most consequential acts of political violence in recent American history. Trump was unsparing in his reaction, expressing both grief and fury: “I hope he’s going to be found guilty, and I hope he gets the death penalty. What he did — Charlie Kirk was the finest person and he didn’t deserve this.”

Investigators told The New York Post that Robinson is believed to have fired a single, devastating shot from an elevated position roughly 200 yards from the tented stage at Utah Valley University’s Losee Center. The bullet struck Kirk, 31, as he fielded questions from the crowd in his signature “Prove Me Wrong” open mic format, a hallmark of his American Comeback Tour.

Eyewitness video reviewed by The New York Post captured the horrifying moment: the crack of the rifle echoed, Kirk jerked violently and clutched his neck, and thousands of students and community members scrambled for cover in chaotic terror.

Law enforcement officials said the suspected gunman had been described in early reports as wearing jeans, a black shirt, and a tactical-style vest, with a long rifle perched atop a building east of the campus library.

“This wasn’t random,” a senior official told The Post. “This was an elevated, planned shot designed to kill.”

Robinson’s capture comes after a tense two-day manhunt that drew in resources from at least four law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Orem Police, the Utah Department of Public Safety, and Utah Valley University Police.

FBI Director Kash Patel initially announced that a “person of interest” had been taken into custody hours after the murder, though that individual was later released without charge. Patel subsequently emphasized that the bureau was leaving no stone unturned, establishing a tip line and on Thursday offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the shooter’s arrest.

That appeal galvanized the community, and according to the report in The New York Post, several tips flowed in within hours. But in a twist no one expected, it was the alleged gunman’s father who ultimately provided the breakthrough, choosing conscience over loyalty and turning his son in through a trusted intermediary.

President Trump, who was visibly moved while speaking on Fox News, made clear that Kirk’s murder has left him personally shaken. “I didn’t want to watch the videos,” he told the hosts. “I heard enough. I didn’t want to remember Charlie that way.”

Earlier in the week, Trump had taken to Truth Social to mourn Kirk in deeply personal terms. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” he wrote. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”

Later, in a solemn video message, Trump went further: “Charlie inspired millions. And tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. This is a dark moment for America. Charlie Kirk is now a martyr for truth and freedom.”

Charlie Kirk’s journey from a teenage activist to the co-founder of Turning Point USA made him one of the most recognizable conservative voices in the country. His relentless advocacy, fiery speeches, and direct engagement with college students across America helped shape the political consciousness of a generation.

Kirk’s campus debates — often framed as open challenges to “Prove Me Wrong” — earned him both fervent supporters and passionate critics. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, he had built an audience of millions online and had become one of President Trump’s most reliable allies in galvanizing youth support.

At the time of his assassination, Kirk was midway through his “American Comeback Tour,” designed to highlight conservative values and mobilize young voters ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve — a former Miss Arizona — and their two young children. His death, as Utah Governor Spencer Cox put it, marks “a tragic day for our state and our nation.”

“This was a political assassination,” Gov. Cox said bluntly at a press conference, as reported by The New York Post. The Republican governor further reminded the public: “I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty in the state of Utah.”

The killing has already inflamed debates about political violence in America, coming on the heels of the attempted assassination of President Trump in Pennsylvania and the murder of a Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota earlier this summer. Analysts told The Post that the Kirk assassination could serve as an inflection point, raising alarms about the trajectory of partisan hostility.

Trump himself framed the event as emblematic of a broader national sickness. “This is a dark moment for America,” he reiterated. “But we will not bend, we will not yield, and Charlie’s spirit will continue to inspire us.”

Despite the quick identification of Robinson, questions linger over how a gunman could position himself so effectively on a college campus where a high-profile event was underway.

According to the information contained in The New York Post report, Robinson was able to access a rooftop east of the library without detection. Local residents have since raised concerns over campus security protocols, especially given Kirk’s prominence and the political polarization surrounding his appearances.

The FBI is expected to provide more detail during its scheduled update later Friday morning, but officials have already suggested that Robinson may have scouted the location in advance.

The most startling twist in the case remains the role of Robinson’s father, whose decision to turn his son in has been described by law enforcement as “a remarkable act of conscience.”

As one investigator told The New York Post, “This was a father who understood the gravity of what his son had done. He chose the nation, justice, and morality over family ties. That decision, as painful as it was, likely prevented further violence.”

It remains unclear whether the father will play a formal role in the prosecution, but sources indicated to The Post that his cooperation will be central to establishing motive and timeline.

In the hours after Kirk’s assassination, vigils sprang up on campuses nationwide. In Orem, Utah, hundreds gathered at Utah Valley University, where the shooting occurred, to light candles and pray. Turning Point USA announced plans to establish a “Charlie Kirk Freedom Fund” to continue his legacy of student outreach and grassroots activism.

“This is not the end of Charlie’s mission,” a spokesperson for the group told The New York Post. “It is only the beginning of carrying forward the vision he lived and died for.”

The capture of Tyler Robinson — aided by his own father’s anguished decision — marks a turning point in the investigation but not the end of the national reckoning. With President Trump demanding the death penalty, Utah’s governor framing the murder as a political assassination, and The New York Post chronicling each new revelation, the story of Charlie Kirk’s assassination will dominate headlines for weeks to come.

Kirk’s legacy as a fierce advocate for conservative values and youth engagement ensures his name will not fade quickly. But for his family, supporters, and a shaken nation, the focus now shifts to justice: ensuring that the man accused of silencing one of America’s most prominent young voices is held fully accountable under the law.