--- title: Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Kirk Killing, Is ‘Not Cooperating’ description: Tyler Robinson has not confessed and is not cooperating with investigators, according to Utah Governor Spencer Cox. canonical: https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/ author: Richard Hall article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-09-14T15:10:54.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:50:07.538Z article:section: Politics og:title: Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Kirk Killing, Is ‘Not Cooperating’ og:description: Tyler Robinson has not confessed and is not cooperating with investigators, according to Utah Governor Spencer Cox. og:url: https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cf5c57aecc931b/6998c9c893610cfd33c2ffae/AP25255859312699.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5740 og:image:height: 3229 og:image:alt: Charlie Kirk Shot og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Kirk Killing, Is ‘Not Cooperating’ twitter:description: Tyler Robinson has not confessed and is not cooperating with investigators, according to Utah Governor Spencer Cox. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cf5c57aecc931b/6998c9c893610cfd33c2ffae/AP25255859312699.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Is ‘Not Cooperating’ With Investigators > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=2dccdf1d-6dab-4293-972a-08df4f663ea1&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=2dccdf1d-6dab-4293-972a-08df4f663ea1&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=2dccdf1d-6dab-4293-972a-08df4f663ea1&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=2dccdf1d-6dab-4293-972a-08df4f663ea1&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: ‘We Got Him’: FBI Confirms Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Has Been Caught [Watch (HLS stream): ‘We Got Him’: FBI Confirms Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Has Been Caught](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NsLNm7mI.m3u8) (3:35)  _Published 2025-09-12. "We got him," said Utah's Gov. Spencer Cox, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel and other federal officials, during a press conference on Friday morning. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was apprehended by investigators in the early hours of Sept. 12 in Washington County, according to Cox._  by [Richard Hall](https://time.com/author/richard-hall/)  ## Richard Hall Editor Sep 14, 2025 3:10 PM UTC  A silver Dodge is towed from the family home of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of shooting and killing Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in Washington, Utah. A silver Dodge is towed from the family home of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of shooting and killing Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk, Friday, Sept. 12, 2025, in Washington, Utah. David Becker—AP  by [Richard Hall](https://time.com/author/richard-hall/)  ## Richard Hall Editor Sep 14, 2025 3:10 PM UTC Tyler Robinson, the [suspect in the killing](https://time.com/7317032/tyler-robinson-motive-charlie-kirk/) of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, is not cooperating with investigators, Utah Governor Spencer Cox revealed on Sunday. “He has not confessed to authorities. He is not cooperating, but all the people around him are cooperating,” Cox said during an interview on ABC’s This Week. Robinson is currently being held without bail and is set to be formally charged on Tuesday. Cox, a Republican who has received praise for his calls for calm in the aftermath of Kirk's killing, gave several updates about the investigation in a round of television interviews on Sunday, offering insight into where authorities were focusing their search for a motive. The governor told NBC that the 22-year-old Robinson "does come from a conservative family, but his ideology was very different than his family... There clearly was a leftist ideology with this assassin in recent years." He said that conclusion was reached based on investigators' interviews with family members, but did not provide any further details. He also said that Robinson had a fascination with "Reddit culture and other dark places of the internet," something that was evident in the engraving left on [bullet casings found at the scene](https://time.com/7317032/tyler-robinson-motive-charlie-kirk/). Read more: [_Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Left Messages With No Motive_](https://time.com/7317032/tyler-robinson-motive-charlie-kirk/) Cox said in another interview with [CNN](https://x.com/CNNSOTU/status/1967218780649455853) that Robinson's romantic partner and roommate was transgender, "transitioning from male to female." “This partner has been incredibly cooperative, had no idea that this was happening and is working with investigators right now,” said Cox, who declined to speculate whether that relationship was connected to the motive. The flurry of updates came three days after Robinson was arrested following an intensive hunt for Kirk's killer. Authorities have not yet revealed the full details of how Robinson was detained, but [multiple reports](https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/13/us/tyler-robinson-mahunt-charlie-kirk) suggested that his father urged him to surrender after recognizing his son in the grainy surveillance footage released by police. “Essentially somebody that was very close to him turned him in,” President Donald Trump said on “Fox and Friends” Friday morning. Robinson grew up in a conservative Utah family and community and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at a young age, according to a church spokesperson, although it’s unclear if he still attended services. He appeared to be a gifted student. A video posted to a family member's social media account shows him reading his acceptance letter from Utah State University for a prestigious academic scholarship. But he only attended for one semester, according to the [Utah Board of Higher Education](https://ushe.edu/statement-from-the-utah-board-of-higher-education-on-suspect/). At the time of the shooting, he was a third-year engineering apprentice at Dixie Technical College. According to the Washington County Clerk, although Robinson’s parents are registered Republicans, he is not affiliated with either party and has not voted in the last two elections. The shooting of Kirk, an influential conservative figure and ally of Trump's, sparked days of acrimony and anger between Democrats and Republicans on the subject of political violence. What investigators conclude about Robinson’s motivations may have far-reaching consequences beyond his own criminal case. In the aftermath of the killing, many Republicans and conservative commentators called for a sweeping [crackdown on leftwing groups](https://time.com/7316315/republicans-far-right-reacts-charlie-kirk-death-blame-left-crackdown/)—assuming that the perpetrator would likely be someone from the opposite side of the political spectrum as Kirk. If proven to be true, those calls will likely grow louder. In the aftermath of the attack, Trump and his officials have promised grave consequences for the “radical left,” which he claimed was “directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.” **Read more**: [_‘This Is War’: Trump and Others on Right Call for Crackdown on Left After Charlie Kirk’s Murder_](https://time.com/7316315/republicans-far-right-reacts-charlie-kirk-death-blame-left-crackdown/) “My Administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country,” he said. ## Transcript Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We got him. On the evening of September 11th, 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. Investigators reviewed additional video footage from UVU surveillance and identified Robinson arriving on UVU campus in a gray Dodge Challenger at approximately 8:29 a.m. on September 10th, in which he is observed on video in a plain maroon t shirt, light colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo, and light colored shoes. When encountered in person by investigators in Washington County on September 12th, in the early morning hours, Robinson was observed in consistent clothing. With those surveillance images. Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years. The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to September 10th, and in the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate. The family member also confirmed Robinson had a gray Dodge Challenger. I know there has been speculation as well as to the the writing on those casings. Those those, uh, those bullet casings. Investigators discovered a bolt action rifle wrapped in a dark colored towel. The rifle was determined to be a mauser model 98, 3006 caliber, 3006 caliber bolt action rifle. The rifle had a scope mounted on top of it. Investigators noted inscriptions that had been engraved on casings found with the rifle. Inscriptions on a fired casing read notices bulges capital o w o. What's this question mark? Inscriptions on the three unfired casings read. Hey, fascist! Exclamation point catch, exclamation point, up arrow, symbol, right arrow and symbol, and three down arrow symbols. A second unfired casing read oh, Bella, ciao bella, ciao bella, Ciao. Ciao, ciao. And a third unfired casing. Red. If you read this, you are gay lmao. I want to thank the public who has been so engaged reviewing reviewing videos, helping us with sending in tips, and helping us get to this point. I want to thank, uh, the, uh, the family members of Tyler Robinson who did the right thing in this case and were able to to bring him into to law enforcement as well. I especially want to thank the family of Charlie Kirk, uh, Erica, um, Charlie's parents, his children. I want us to be thinking of them as we bring justice in this case. Um, they will be involved in that justice. Uh, we will be working very closely with them as we move through this process as well. This is a very sad day for, again, for our country. Uh, a terrible day for the state of Utah. But I'm grateful that at this moment, we have an opportunity to bring closure to this very dark chapter in our nation's history. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/"},"headline":"Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Is ‘Not Cooperating’ With Investigators","datePublished":"2025-09-14T15:10:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:50:07.538Z","description":"Tyler Robinson has not confessed and is not cooperating with investigators, according to Utah Governor Spencer Cox.","url":"https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/","keywords":["Crime","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cf5c57aecc931b/6998c9c893610cfd33c2ffae/AP25255859312699.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Richard Hall","jobTitle":"Editor","url":"https://time.com/author/richard-hall/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cf5c57aecc931b/6998c9c893610cfd33c2ffae/AP25255859312699.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Charlie Kirk Shot","caption":"Charlie Kirk Shot","creditText":"David Becker—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/crime/","name":"Crime"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/","name":"Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Is ‘Not Cooperating’ With Investigators"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"‘We Got Him’: FBI Confirms Tyler Robinson, Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing, Has Been Caught","description":"\"We got him,\" said Utah's Gov. Spencer Cox, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel and other federal officials, during a press conference on Friday morning. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was apprehended by investigators in the early hours of Sept. 12 in Washington County, according to Cox.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/NsLNm7mI/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2025-09-12T15:51:56.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NsLNm7mI.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/","duration":"PT3M35S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/7317079/tyler-robinson-not-cooperating-latest/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```