When 3,000 people gathered at a campaign-style event in Orem, Utah last week, few imagined it would end in tragedy. During the speech of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a single rifle shot rang out, killing the 33-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder in front of a stunned crowd.
The accused gunman, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, remains silent. Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed that Robinson has not cooperated with investigators, who have turned to the suspect's inner circle for clues.
Cox told ABC's This Week that the suspect 'is uncooperative, but those around him have been incredibly helpful.'
One key witness is Robinson's roommate—a male transitioning to female—who has cooperated fully with Federal Bureau of Investigation interviews.
Authorities hope forensic evidence—shell casings, ballistics and digital footprints—will reveal a motive. Robinson was raised in a conservative household but reportedly rejected his family's ideology. State records show he was a registered voter with no formal party affiliation, yet relatives told investigators he had grown more politically engaged and once expressed dislike for Kirk's anti-LGBT and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
The shooting highlights wider concerns about political violence and the role of social media. On NBC's Meet the Press, Gov. Cox warned that online platforms have played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt in recent years, underscoring the challenge of tracing radicalization in a connected world.
As Utah's justice system prepares formal charges against Robinson, Kirk's supporters are planning a memorial on September 21 in Glendale, Arizona. Meanwhile, investigators continue piecing together the events that led to one of the deadliest attacks on a political figure in recent U.S. memory—and sparking debates about safety, ideology and the power of online influence across borders. From campaign rallies in Latin America to election gatherings in Europe, democracies everywhere are grappling with the challenge of protecting public discourse from violence.
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Utah governor: Kirk shooting suspect not cooperating with authorities
cgtn.com
