FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday that authorities received more than 11,000 tips from a range of sources to identify the suspect alleged to have shot and killed conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.
During a press conference in Utah, Patel said that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been arrested for the murder. It’s not clear if Robinson is a student at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was speaking at an event on Wednesday when he was shot.
Patel, along with Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, also revealed further details about the investigation that eventually led to Robinson’s arrest. That included some involvement from a family member who may have contacted authorities after learning about the incident.
Officials also revealed that Robinson was speaking to his roommate in a Discord chat about figuring out how to go back to the scene and retrieve the gun he left behind.
The governor said that Robinson was seen in surveillance video arriving to the campus in a gray Dodge Challenger. He also indicated that Robinson’s father saw surveillance photos that were released by the FBI and then worked with a family pastor to encourage his son’s surrender.
Also, authorities revealed that the suspect was communicating with an as yet unidentified party over the Discord platform discussing details about the suspected Mauser 30.06 caliber rifle believed to be the murder weapon.
Patel said that FBI agents and other authorities were shown the messages and were allowed to take photos of them as part of the investigation. Robinson and the other party were reportedly discussing where to stash the weapon, as well as Robinson’s attire.