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Prosecutors in the case against suspected Charlie Kirk shooter Tyler Robinson revealed what happened between Robinson and his parents after they reportedly recognized their son from police photographs of the suspected shooter -- and the rifle they recovered.
On Tuesday, the Utah County Attorney's Office held a press conference to discuss the investigation into Charlie Kirk's alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson.
They also released the charging documents for Robinson, reviewed by TooFab, which detailed some of the investigations' findings to this point, including how Robinson's parents quickly recognized their son and the rifle allegedly used in the shooting.
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View StoryLast Wednesday, Kirk -- an often controversial politicial commentator and strong supporter of President Donald Trump -- had been speaking at a student Q&A at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when he was shot and killed by a sniper from a nearby building. The shooting occurred when Kirk was debating gun violence. He was 31.
On Friday, 22-year-old Utah man Tyler Robinson was identified as Kirk's alleged shooter. He was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time on Thursday night after he turned himself in alongside his parents and a family friend.
Robinson was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice; they're all state felony charges, with the aggravated murder count carrying a possible death penalty sentence.
While speaking with authorities on Thursday, Robinson's mother reportedly told them that the moment she saw the photo of the suspected shooter on the television, she "thought [he] looked like her son." She said she called Robinson immediately and "asked him where he was."
According to the charging documents, Robinson told his mother he was "at home sick and that he had also been at home sick on September 10th," the day of Kirk's fatal shooting. Nevertheless, his mother was still concerned, expressing her concern to her husband that the shooter did look like their son, with her husband agreeing, per the document.
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View StoryShe also talked about how Robinson had changed over the past year, according to the legal filing, saying that he "had become more political and had started to lean more to the left -- becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented."
Robinson had also begun to date his roommate in this span, she added, who was described in the charging documents as "a biological male who was transitioning genders." According to Robinson's mother, this development led to "several discussions" with different family members, but especially between Robinson and his father, "who have very different political views."
She detailed one conversation that she said took place before the shooting where Robinson mentioned the conservative activist would be speaking at UVU, "which Robinson said was a 'stupid venue' for the event," according to the documents. He also purportedly "accused Kirk of spreading hate."
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View StoryRobinson's father also talked with authorities, confirming that he agreed with his wife that the photos of the shooting suspect looked like their son. He also said that he felt the rifle that authorities believe was used in the assassination of Kirk "matched a rifle that was given to his son as a gift," per the charging documents.
He told investigators that when he saw that, he made contact with his son and "asked him to send a photo of the rifle," but his son did not respond. Later, though, Robinson's father said that they spoke on the phone and that his son "implied he planned to take his own life." In response, the parents convinced him to come to their home and talk about it, per the court document.
The legal filings assert that during that conversation, Robinson "implied that he was the shooter and stated that he didn't want to go to jail and just wanted to end it." The parents told investigators they asked him why he did it, and Robinson allegedly told them "there was too much evil and the guy [Charlie Kirk] spreads too much hate."
The family said they convinced Robinson to speak with a family friend who is a retired deputy sheriff, and that after this agreed meeting, Robinson was convinced to turn himself in, per the report.
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View StoryThe retired sheriff also spoke with authorities and told them that he explained to Robinson that it would be best if he brought all evidence with him to the sheriff’s office to avoid police having to search his parent’s home." When asked if he had any clothing "related to what he did," Robinson told the family friend "he had disposed of the clothes in different areas," per the documents.
Police did execute a search warrant on Robinson's home, per the filing, and found a shell casing with etchings similar to those found on the rifle recovered near the UVU campus. They also reported finding multiple targets with bullet holes in them.
Robinson has been charged with one count each of Aggravated Murder, Felony Discharge of a Firearm, and Violence Offense Committed in the Presence of a Child, as well as two counts each of Witness Tampering and Obstructing Justice,
The witness tampering charges have to do with a text exchange that Robinson allegedly had with his roommate after the shooting, which was also detailed in the charging documents and covered by TMZ. That alleged exchange echoes some of the statements from Robinson's parents, including his father reaching out to him about the rifle and him not responding, while also including purported admissions of guilt.