It was only after a conversation with his father that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson reportedly confessed to assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Robinson’s home life is now under a microscope as investigators dig into political statements and voting records linked to his parents.
Matthew Robinson, the suspect’s father, spent 27 years as a police officer in Washington, Utah, before moving into construction.
Tyler’s mother, Amber, works in healthcare, contracting with the state to provide services for disabled residents.
According to online records, both parents are registered Republicans.
President Donald Trump said Matthew Robinson was the first to contact authorities. “It was a colleague in the U.S. Marshal’s,” Trump explained.
Matthew reportedly kept his son confined until law enforcement arrived around 11 p.m. Thursday night, per Trending Politics.
Despite his parents’ background, Robinson’s personal animosity toward Kirk had been growing.
In one 2017 photograph, Robinson wore a Halloween costume of himself riding a zombified Trump like a horse. His younger brother stood next to him dressed in black with a toy hunting rifle on his back.
The family lives in a $600,000 six-bedroom home in Washington, Utah, about 260 miles from Orem. That is where Kirk was murdered Thursday night on the campus of Utah Valley University.
Other photos show Robinson with weapons at a young age, including one image where he posed next to a massive M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun.
At a Friday press conference, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson’s family admitted that he had “become more political in recent years.”
“They described coming back from dinner with him, where he mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU and mentioned why he didn’t like him,” Cox told reporters.
Evidence is mounting that Robinson carefully planned the assassination.
Shell casings at the scene were inscribed with messages matching posts from a Discord account linked to “Tyler.” His roommate shared photos of those messages, which talked about a “drop point” and leaving “the rifle in a bush.”
Cox confirmed that Robinson also wrote about “engraving bullets” with statements and detailed how his rifle would carry “unique messages.”
The killing has sparked outrage across the country, with leaders demanding the harshest possible punishment.
President Trump made his stance clear. “This man deserves the death penalty,” Trump said. “Charlie Kirk was a patriot, a father, and a fighter for America. Justice must be served.”
Governor Cox agreed, telling reporters he would support prosecutors seeking capital punishment. Utah is one of 27 states that still allows the death penalty, including execution by firing squad.
Robinson now faces the possibility of that ultimate punishment as prosecutors prepare their case.
