Charlie Kirk shot dead in Utah: Timeline of assassination

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday afternoon.

Kirk was speaking on campus when a single shot was fired from the roof of a nearby building, which killed the conservative icon. Authorities announced on Friday that a suspect had been arrested.

Here’s a timeline of events leading up to the assassination and arrest:

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SUSPECT TYLER ROBINSON NAMED, MUGSHOTS RELEASED

Wednesday, Sept. 10

11:52 a.m. MT – Suspect arrives at Utah Valley University

Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said during a news conference on Thursday that the suspect arrived at Utah Valley University (UVU) at 11:52 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 10. The suspect then went to the Losee Center on campus.

“Starting at 11:52 a.m. this subject arrived on campus. Shortly away from campus, we have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof across the roof to the shooting location,” Mason said.

CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN IDENTIFIED AFTER FATAL SHOOTING OF INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE VOICE IN UTAH

Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

12 p.m. – Start of event

TPUSA’s event at UVU’s courtyard featuring Kirk kicked off. A massive crowd formed around a white tent with text reading “THE AMERICAN COMEBACK” and “PROVE ME WRONG.” An event organizer told Fox News Digital that around 1,400 people RSVP’d for the event.

12:20 p.m. – Shot fired

University spokeswoman Ellen Treanor told Fox News Digital that the shooting began at 12:20 p.m. and came from a building located around 200 yards from the speaker. Kirk was answering a question from an individual in the audience when a shot was fired, hitting him in the neck. Kirk was transported to a local hospital.

Students and people attending the event can be seen rushing to leave the area. The shooter jumped down a side of the building and went into a nearby neighborhood, officials said.

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: DISPATCH AUDIO REVEALS SUSPECT IN BLACK TACTICAL GEAR, CARRYING LONG GUN

12:22-12:30 p.m. – Campus is cleared 

UVU said police went “building to building” escorting students and staff off campus grounds.

The campus was immediately evacuated and locked down. Classes were suspended through Sept. 14.

According to a school spokesperson, UVU Police, in conjunction with the Orem Police Department, Utah Department of Public Safety and the FBI, started investigating the shooting.

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION WITNESSES DESCRIBE MINIMAL SECURITY, HORRIFYING SHOOTING

12:53 p.m. – FBI Director Kash Patel said agents responding

FBI Director Kash Patel said agents responded quickly to the scene.

“We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” Patel said. “Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”

PHOTO GALLERY: CHARLIE KIRK THROUGH THE YEARS

Shortly after the shooting, UVU announced that a suspect was in custody, but did not publicly identify the suspect.

Shortly after the initial announcement, a UVU spokesperson told Fox News Digital the suspect who was initially in custody had since been released.

1:40 p.m. – President Donald Trump confirms Kirk is dead

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SUSPECT EVADES MANHUNT AS INVESTIGATORS ANALYZE SECURITY FOOTAGE

4:21 p.m. – Patel announces another suspect in custody

“The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody,” Patel wrote in an update on X. “Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with the FBI. We will provide updates when able.”

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK

5:59 p.m. – Patel announces suspect released

“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency,” Patel wrote in a post on X. 

Thursday, Sept. 11

7:15 a.m. MT – FBI, Utah police hold news conference on manhunt

Investigators said they had obtained security camera video from the UVU campus showing a suspect dressed in all black.

Robert Bohls, the FBI’s special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office, spoke at the event alongside Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason.

“After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building and fled, off of the campus and into a neighborhood,” Mason said.

VIDEO SHOWS MOMENTS BEFORE ASSASSINATION OF TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER CHARLIE KIRK

Law enforcement tapes off an area after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot at Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

Authorities recover suspected murder weapon

Bohls said they recovered what they believe to be the gun used to assassinate Kirk.

The weapon “is a high-powered bolt action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. So the FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon. Investigators have also collected footwear, the impression of a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis,” Bohls said.

“We are not sure how far he has gone,” Bohls added about the assassin.

Investigators added that they believe Kirk’s killer is “of college age.” 

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9:48 a.m. – FBI releases photos of person of interest

“We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the FBI’s Salt Lake City office wrote on X.

10:44 a.m. – FBI offers reward for help cracking case

The FBI said in a post on X that it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 “for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk.”

Friday, Sept. 12

8 a.m. ET – Trump announces suspect in custody

In a First on Fox announcement, Trump said that a suspect had been arrested.

“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.”

“Everyone did a great job. We worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job,” Trump added. 

9:35 a.m. – Suspect identified

Sources told Fox News that the suspect had been identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident.

The booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspected in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)

10:15 a.m. – Patel says suspect arrested in ‘historic’ time

At a news conference on Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel said Robinson was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time Thursday, less than 34 hours after the assassination.

“The suspect was apprehended in historic time period,” he said.

Patel said the first FBI agents arrived on the scene of the assassination 16 minutes after Kirk was shot and immediately launched “fixed-wing assets.” 

“We utilize these assets to transport personnel, specialty technicians, hostage rescue teams,” he said. “We also utilize these assets to go back and forth from the East Coast, and here in Utah to transport forensic evidence and other evidence that will be analyzed and is being analyzed at our FBI laboratories in Quantico and other laboratories, including the ATF and my direction.

“The FBI released the first set of FBI photos of the suspect at 10 a.m. local time on 9/11. Then shortly thereafter, the FBI reward of $100,000 was released at 10:45 a.m. local. Myself and Deputy Director Bongino arrived on the scene at approximately 5:30 p.m. on 9/11. The governor led a press conference last night at approximately 8 p.m. The FBI released a never-before-seen video of the suspect. We also released new images to the public of the suspect. And just last night, the suspect was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time in less than 36 hours. 33, to be precise. Thanks to the full weight of the federal government and leading out with the partners here in the state of Utah and Gov. Cox.”

10:45 a.m. – Utah State University confirms connection

“Utah State University confirms that Tyler Robinson, the suspect arrested in the killing of Charlie Kirk, briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021,” the school said in a statement.

“We can also confirm that he was a pre-engineering major and took classes consistent with that major for his one semester,” the university added.