TRUE CRIME NEWSCharlie Kirk's Accused Assassin Tyler Robinson 'Made Contact' With Police Officer When He Tried to Retrieve Rifle Hours After Shooting
Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, was thwarted when he tried to retrieve his gun.
Sept. 26 2025, Updated 1:10 p.m. ET
Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, crossed paths with a police officer just hours after he killed the conservative political activist on September 10.
After Robinson fatally shot Kirk in the neck while he was speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, he dumped his rifle in the woods and ran off campus. However, Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, confirmed he returned later that night to try and retrieve his gun.
Tyler Robinson 'Made Contact' With Police Officer on Campus
Tyler Robinson 'made contact' with a police officer when he returned to the scene of the crime to try and retrieve his gun.
"We have been able to confirm very recently that he did return to that campus and did make contact with an officer," Mason told a news outlet. "The contents of that interaction we're not prepared to reveal right now. That's part of the investigation and part of gathering more information."
The policeman was situated on the perimeter of the college campus, which was placed on lockdown. His presence is believed to have prevented Robinson, 22, from getting his weapon back.
Robinson's family assisted him in turning himself in after he shot right-wing activist Charlie Kirk on September 10.
The report also revealed they tracked Robinson's movements after the attack.
"We know he visited a restaurant eatery, or he made a purchase for food, just kind of a normal interaction," said Mason.
As OK! reported, Robinson referenced ditching his gun in exposed text messages he sent to his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, where he also confessed to being the shooter.
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Tyler Robinson's Text Messages Exposed
The suspect said he murdered Charlie Kirk because he 'had enough of his hatred.'
"If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on," Robinson wrote. "I haven’t seen anything about them finding it."
Though the roommate "thought they caught the person" who did it, Robinson replied "no, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. It’s quiet, almost enough to get out, but there’s one vehicle lingering."
What Was the Motive Behind the Shooting?
Kirk, who was 31, is survived by wife Erika Kirk and their two children.
When Twiggs asked Robinson why he pulled the trigger, he said of Kirk, "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out."
Robinson also told his partner, "If any police ask you questions, ask for a lawyer and stay silent."
In the end, Robinson turned himself in after his parents discovered he was the suspect. He's been charged with felony aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of felony obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
