Bullet casings from the gun suspected of being used to assassinate conservative activist Charlie Kirk were engraved with messages officials believe hint at a possible motive for the k!lling.
Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed that investigators found the bolt-action rifle and scope wrapped in a towel and discovered, after the sho0ting, engraved bullet casings with messages that referenced fascism and anti-fascist material.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is expected to be charged with aggravated murd£r, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit. The offenses are all state charges.
Officials believe the suspect acted alone in Kirk’s sho0ting.
Officials confirmed the suspected sho0ter was turned in by a family member who saw photos released Thursday by the FBI. The family member confronted the suspect, then turned him in to police.
“On the evening of September 11, a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident,” Cox said at Friday morning’s news conference.
Cox added that a family member of Robinson who was interviewed by investigators said that he had become “more political in recent years,” and mentioned Kirk’s name during a recent family dinner.
“In the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,” the governor said.
Robinson was admitted to Utah State University on a prestigious academic scholarship, according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter posted to a family member’s social media account. A university spokesperson says he attended for only one semester in 2021.
Utah state records say the 22-year-old was registered as a voter but not affiliated with either political party.
Robinson had become “more political” in the run-up to the shooting and mentioned during a dinner with family that Kirk would be visiting Utah, Cox said.
According to Cox, one casing read “Hey, fascist! Catch!”
One of the inscriptions read, “Hey, fascist. Catch!” and another read, “If you read this, you are gay.” A third casing had the lyrics to the Italian song “Bella Ciao.”