The Utah Department of Public Safety and the Salt Lake City FBI office shared a photo of a person they called a suspect Thursday afternoon and asked for the public’s help in identifying them. The pair also shared video of a man they said was the suspect scampering across a roof on campus after Kirk was shot and fleeing.
On Friday, Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah gave a more detailed account of the 22-year-old suspect’s background and political leanings, saying Tyler Robinson was “radicalized” in recent years and had been in a romantic relationship with a transgender person. But he would not answer whether he believed the killing of Kirk, who was an activist for conservative group Turning Point USA and the founder of the Prove Me Wrong debate series, was in any way related to his views.
In a press conference, Cox said the investigation into the shooting has been helped by more than 200 digital tips, a number of which are still being investigated. The governor praised the quick response of law enforcement.
Investigators have gathered surveillance footage and say the suspect arrived at the university in a gray Dodge Challenger around 8:30 a.m. on the day of the shooting and left around 3 p.m. Investigators also say the gun used in the attack was an AR-15-style rifle, and they found it wrapped in a towel near where Kirk was shot. The weapon was loaded with a magazine that held 10 rounds, and a holster for another full clip was nearby.