An alert police officer may have prevented further bloodshed in the hours after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University, according to new details.
Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting the Turning Point USA founder on Sept. 10, allegedly attempted to return to the wooded area where he had stashed the rifle used in the killing.
But a perimeter officer encountered him, a chance confrontation that prosecutors say likely stopped Robinson from retrieving the Mauser .30-06 rifle later recovered wrapped in a towel.
The encounter came roughly six hours after a bullet struck Kirk in the neck during a campus event, triggering an immediate lockdown.
Prosecutors said Robinson had been communicating with his transgender boyfriend, Lance Twiggs, about his efforts to recover the firearm.
In one exchange, Robinson directed Twiggs to look under his keyboard, where a handwritten note was found: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.”
Robinson, who remained in Orem, Utah, after the shooting, expressed concern about the lockdown thwarting his plans. “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down,” he reportedly texted Twiggs. “It’s quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres (sic) one vehicle lingering.”
Later, Robinson told Twiggs he had spotted a squad car near the site where he left the rifle. “I’m wishing I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle,” he allegedly wrote. “I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpas (sic) rifle.”
The investigation intensified when Robinson’s parents recognized him in surveillance photographs released by federal authorities during a two-day manhunt. At a Sept. 12 press conference, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said the family confronted their son, who confessed and threatened suicide rather than surrender. His father contacted a youth pastor and former law enforcement officer, who in turn reached out to Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby.
At a Sept. 18 press conference, Brooksby said law enforcement agreed to guarantee a “peaceful” surrender. Robinson ultimately arrived at the sheriff’s office with his parents and the pastor, ending a tense nationwide search.
Investigators also uncovered disturbing details about Robinson’s personal obsessions. He reportedly fixated on pornographic “furry” video games and followed artists who created underage-themed cartoons.
One bullet casing recovered after the attack bore a phrase from the subculture: “NoTices Bulge OWO What’s This?”
Robinson now faces a litany of charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice for hiding the rifle and discarding clothing, witness tampering for instructing a roommate to delete texts, and committing a violent offense in front of children.
The shocking crime, which targeted one of the most prominent young conservative leaders in the country, has reignited debate about political violence. Prosecutors say the evidence — from the handwritten note to the digital messages — shows Robinson’s actions were deliberate, premeditated, and fueled by far-left ideological hostility.
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