Crime
Suspect In Charlie Kirk Assassination Identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson
OREM, Utah — Federal and state law enforcement officials have confirmed the arrest of Tyler Robinson, 22, in connection with the fatal shooting of conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Robinson was taken into custody late Thursday night near St. George, Utah, approximately 250 miles southwest of the UVU campus where Kirk was killed.
According to investigators, Robinson allegedly confessed to his father that he was responsible for the shooting. His father immediately contacted authorities, secured his son, and waited until law enforcement arrived to take him into custody.
The arrest reportedly occurred around 11:00 p.m. local time.
At a press conference Thursday night, officials confirmed that Robinson will face capital charges and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Law enforcement sources report that a Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle was recovered in a wooded area near the UVU campus.
The weapon was wrapped in a towel, and forensic teams discovered a spent cartridge in the chamber alongside three live rounds in the magazine. Notably, investigators said the cartridges were engraved with phrases referencing transgender and antifascist ideology.
The rifle and ammunition are now in FBI custody for DNA and fingerprint analysis, with additional testing planned by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators shows a man dressed in all black and carrying what appeared to be a concealed rifle walking toward the UVU campus on Wednesday morning.
Video timestamped 11:49 a.m. shows the individual moving with a noticeable hobble just blocks from the university. Investigators believe the weapon may have been hidden under his clothing.
By 11:52 a.m., FBI officials said the suspect had reached the campus. Additional footage captured a man running through a neighborhood backyard in the aftermath of the shooting, as students evacuated calmly in the opposite direction.
According to investigators, the shooter fired a single round from the rooftop of an adjacent building into the crowded outdoor courtyard where Kirk was addressing approximately 3,000 attendees during his “Prove Me Wrong” debate event. The suspect was then seen fleeing the scene on foot.
The investigation is being jointly led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS), in coordination with the Utah County Attorney’s Office, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, and local police departments. The ATF is assisting with firearms analysis.
Authorities confirmed that several individuals were previously detained or questioned based on eyewitness accounts and video footage, including George Zinn (charged separately with obstruction) and Zachariah Qureshi (released after interrogation). Neither is currently believed to be connected to the shooting.
Officials emphasized that the attack appears to have been targeted, though no formal motive has been released.
The FBI has established a digital media tip line at fbi.gov/UtahValleyShooting and continues to ask the public for assistance.
The assassination has drawn swift condemnation from elected officials across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump paid tribute to Kirk, calling him “a great patriot and friend.”
The White House confirmed that Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance will accompany Kirk’s body aboard Air Force Two to his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.
Utah officials urged calm and encouraged anyone in need of support to call 988, the state’s mental health crisis hotline.
“This is a tragic moment for Utah and for our country,” said a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Public Safety. “We are committed to bringing full justice in this case.”
Crime
Gerald Waligorski Dies by Self-Inflicted Gunshot After Shooting Wife and Killing Her Parents in Pike County Shooting Spree
NEW CANTON, Ill. — Authorities in Pike County are investigating a deadly shooting spree that left two people dead, one person critically injured, and the suspect dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 67-year-old Gerald E. Waligorski, of New Canton, was identified as the suspect. Deputies discovered his body inside his residence following a search warrant executed by a SWAT team.
According to Sheriff’s Deputy Zach Orr, deputies were dispatched around 6 a.m. Thursday to a home in the 300 block of Mississippi Street in New Canton after receiving reports of gunfire.
Upon arrival, officers located Waligorski’s wife suffering from a gunshot wound. She told police that her husband had shot her and threatened her parents. The woman was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment.
In response to her statement, officers conducted a welfare check at her parents’ residence in the 200 block of Monroe Street, where they tragically found both victims deceased from gunshot wounds. Their identities have not yet been released pending notification of family members.
As law enforcement searched for Waligorski, local authorities issued warnings to residents to remain indoors, describing the situation as an active shooter threat. Nearby schools, including Griggsville-Perry School District, Western School District, and Pikeland CUSD 10, were placed on soft lockdown as a precaution.
A SWAT team later executed a search warrant at Waligorski’s residence, where he was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office stated that the motive behind the killings remains under investigation. Officials with the Hull Kinderhook Fire Protection District confirmed the area is now secure, and law enforcement agencies have lifted all lockdown measures.