Washington (United States) (AFP) – How did Tyler Robinson — a straight-A student raised Mormon by Republican parents — become the alleged assassin of right-wing mega-influencer Charlie Kirk? It’s a question that has gripped Washington, the small town in Utah where the suspect grew up. The 22-year-old arrested late Thursday after a 33-hour manhunt reportedly confessed to killing Kirk, whose popularity among young conservatives helped Donald Trump win the presidential election last November.
Robinson grew up the eldest of three boys in a mid-sized house on a winding street with manicured lawns, in a neighborhood that backs up to a church. He was “quiet, respectful, kind of stayed to himself. But he was really, really smart,” 66-year-old Kris Schwiermann, the retired head custodian at the local primary school, told AFP. Jaida Funk, a 22-year-old who attended elementary and middle school with Robinson, gave a similar assessment. “I always thought he would become a businessman or a CEO someday, rather than what I’m learning about him now,” she said. “He was quiet, but not weird, he had friends and he talked to all the different cliques.”
After graduating with flying colors from high school in 2021, Robinson briefly studied at university before enrolling in an electrical apprentice program at a technical college closer to home. His father sells granite kitchen countertops, his mother is a healthcare provider for handicapped people — and they are members of the Mormon church, but inactive, according to Schwiermann. Family photos on social media depict a family that loved traveling, camping, and hunting.
On Wednesday, authorities say, Robinson used a sniper rifle to shoot Kirk with a single bullet to the neck from a rooftop, as the 31-year-old activist spoke at Utah Valley University, about four hours north of Washington. While his parents are Republicans, Robinson registered as unaffiliated but did not cast a ballot in 2024. Utah Governor Spencer Cox told CNN on Friday that the suspect was radicalized “in a fairly short amount of time.” Robinson had spoken disparagingly of Kirk with family members, and his father urged him to turn himself in, authorities said.
Markings Cox said were found on unused bullet casings in the weapon Robinson is believed to have used have sparked speculation about his politics. One cartridge had “Hey, fascist! Catch!” written on it, while another featured “Bella ciao,” — a World War II-era Italian anti-fascist song that reports said has recently been repurposed in niche online circles. Other cartridges were marked with symbols and wording that appeared to be from online gaming culture.
Former school buddies recall an avid fan of first-person shooter video games like “Halo” and “Call of Duty.” And he didn’t talk politics with Jay, who met Robinson in January in a group for big car enthusiasts. “He was just a cool car guy,” said the perplexed 40-year-old, who declined to give his last name. “We just talked about our love for muscle cars and the way they sound and drive.” Robinson’s shiny gray Dodge Challenger was the only thing neighbors knew about him in the nondescript apartment building where he lived in Saint George, about ten minutes from his parents.
Heather McKnight, a 50-year-old nurse and his neighbor for more than a year, described a solitary, sullen-looking stranger who, in her opinion, drove too fast. “He would just never say hi, he didn’t want to talk or start a good neighbor relationship… He was just creepy,” she said. “Who would have known that this little skinny guy getting in and out of his car would be able to commit such a heinous act?”
© 2024 AFP
