And in a press conference on Friday (September 12), the FBI confirmed they had detained a suspect identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox began by telling audiences: “We got him,” before later going on to detail chilling messages sent from the suspect to a roommate on the messaging service Discord.
Cox said investigators spoke with Robinson’s roommates, who showed them messages between him and an account with the name ‘Tyler’.
Messages from ‘Tyler’ stated the need to gather a rifle from a drop off point, before leaving it in a bush and wrapping it in a towel before leaving the scene.
The governor went on to say other messages mentioned the rifle being ‘unique’, as well as discussion about engraving bullets and a scope.
Cox also confirmed ‘Tyler’ spoke about having to change his outfits in the Discord messages.
Elsewhere in the press conference, Cox detailed what lead to Robinson’s arrest, stating officials received a tip which stemmed from a family member of Robinson, who had reached out to a family friend who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The governor explained that ‘Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident’.
A family member of Robinson was also interviewed by investigators, who claimed that the suspect had become ‘more political’ in recent years.
They recalled one particular incident which took place before the September 10 shooting, when Robinson had joined the family member for dinner and engaged in a conversation in which Robinson mentioned Kirk was due to come to Utah Valley University.
“They talked about why he didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,” Cox said.
Cox expressed his thanks to law enforcement, the FBI and members of the public for helping with the investigation, and praised Robinson’s family for having done ‘the right thing’.