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22-Year-Old Suspect In Custody In Kirk Shooting; Family Told Investigators That Suspect Got More Political In Recent Years And Criticized Kirk; Justice Department May Bring Federal Charges Against Kirk Shooting Suspect As Early As This Afternoon. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired September 12, 2025 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[14:00:47]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": Suspect in custody. We have some new details on the man, who police say, shot and killed conservative activist, Charlie Kirk. Ahead, the latest on the search for a motive as investigators look for new clues in the case. Plus, the Governor of Utah describing this moment as a watershed in American history. The question now is what path will America take? We'll be speaking with students from different sides of the political aisle who are coming together in order to bring the temperature down on political rhetoric.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": And Americans feeling a lot worse about the state of the economy, consumer sentiment falling to its lowest level in months as inflation rises and job prospects get worse. We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to "CNN News Central."

A suspect is now in custody for the killing of Charlie Kirk and the search for a motive is intensifying. Here is what we know right now. A 22-year-old man was taken into custody late last night after officials say his father identified him and urged him to turn himself in. Utah's governor says he was not a student at the university where the conservative activist was gunned down. But, the governor did say that his family told investigators they recently spoke about Kirk's upcoming event and expressed dislike for Kirk.

Utah voting records show the suspect is listed as unaffiliated with a political party and inactive, which implies he did not vote in at least the most recent two general elections. CNN's Ed Lavandera is outside the jail where the suspect is being held. And Ed, federal charges could be coming as soon as today. Is that right?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That could be coming. And we anticipate also obviously, the state charges coming as well. We do know that, preliminarily here, that the charges that the suspect, Tyler Robinson 22-year-olds, is being held on aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, as well as obstruction of justice. And he's being held with without a bond at this moment. This, we are outside the Utah county jail and investigators say that he was taken into custody about 10:00 p.m. yesterday evening in Southwest Utah, about a three- to four-hour drive from where we are. That's where his family lives. That's where the suspect lived as well.

And he was booked into the jail here just before 2:00 a.m. this morning. And we are about nine miles away from the shooting scene. It probably won't be until early next week before the suspect is seen in a courtroom here in Utah. So all of that legal process beginning to play out, but we are learning more details about the investigative efforts that have been made so far and what that has revealed, which included a number of messages that the suspect shared with his roommate that suggested ownership of the rifle that was used, perhaps used in the shooting as well.

And then also investigators talked about conversations that family members had with this suspect. And I'll listen -- let you listen to the way they described and characterize those conversations that we've learned about this morning.

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GOV. SPENCER COX, (R) UTAH: Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson, who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years. In a conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: So, we're still trying to gather details about exactly -- some more specifics on what exactly that means. It's a little bit vague in terms of what is it that they didn't like about Charlie Kirk and what exactly was the motivation there. So we're still missing some key, I think, context and details as to what exactly motivated all of that. But, obviously, a great deal of movement because, on this investigation, because when they -- investigators came out last night, around eight o'clock, and released new videos of the shooting scene as well as pictures of the suspect, it seemed very clear that they did not have kind of any clear indication as to who this person might be and where he might be.

[14:05:00]

But clearly, that quickly changed in the hours after last night's press conference. Brianna?

KEILAR: Yeah, it sure did. Ed Lavandera, thank you for the latest from Utah. Boris?

SANCHEZ: With us now is CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, John Miller. John, what more are you hearing from sources?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, we've been looking at just where Ed left off in the story, which is how did this develop so suddenly last night and what we're told from law enforcement sources who have been briefed on the case is that the father with the release of the new pictures, which came out a couple of hours before the eight o'clock press conference, was becoming convinced that the shooter might be his son and confronted his son about it.

Tyler, is this you? This looks like you. And that the son admitted that it was him according to those sources, and that the father said, well, you should turn yourself in. And that the son's response was, I would rather kill myself than turn myself in. But the father persuaded him to talk to their youth pastor, who is part of the sheriff's office and the Fugitive Task Force run by the U.S. Marshal Service. That the pastor did talk to Tyler, and that he contacted the U.S. Marshal and said, this information was there, that he'd had this conversation, that he had admitted it and arranged for the FBI to come out. And by 10 o'clock, he was in custody and that is kind of how this went from, as Ed said, being an investigation where they were thrashing around with 7,000 leads and 4,000 more coming in to one that they could close with an arrest before morning.

SANCHEZ: Wow. Some really fascinating details there. I wonder, John, as an investigator, when you hear some of the details that have emerged, which of those pieces of information stand out the most to you?

MILLER: Well, I think that the things that jump off the page are the inscriptions on the bullets because it is the thing that brings us closest, if not to motive, at least some sign of what the motive could be. We have to interpret those. But, "hey fascist! CATCH!" written on a bullet that was meant for this assassination is a clue to that motivation. The other thing is the postings and the Discord chat room channel where he is talking to a friend about a drop site for a gun and that the guns wrapped in a towel.

What it seems to indicate is at a time when he had gone to a lot of trouble to execute this assassination, escape from it, go undetected, he's having conversations with a former roommate, we are told by officials at the press conference, where he is discussing the gun, a hiding place and other things that really raised the question, Boris, did he want to get caught? Was he trying to get caught?

SANCHEZ: Yeah. John Miller, thanks so much for those details. Let's expand the conversation now with CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst, Charles Ramsey, also Professor of Criminology at Northeastern University, James Alan Fox. Thank you both for being with us. Chief Ramsey, 33 hours from the shooting to an arrest. What are your thoughts on the timeline and which parts of it do you want more clarity on now?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, first of all, each case is so different and in terms of complexity, the information that you get in and so forth. This could have gone a lot longer had they not been able to put those pictures out and his father recognized him, ask him whether or not that was him, and then make the right call. This would've gone on a little longer probably. So it just depends on so many factors. But they got him within 48 hours. And one thing that I worked in homicide and one of the things we always tried to do is catch the offender before the funeral of the victim. I mean, it gives a little bit of relief to family that at least we have the person responsible in custody and they were able to do that in this case. KEILAR: Yeah. James, really important information coming from family members of the suspect here. And they've spoken with investigators, one who actually said he'd become more political in recent years. Another said that the suspect had mentioned Kirk was coming to UVU. How important are their perspectives here?

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JAMES ALAN FOX, PROFESSOR OF CRIMINOLOGY, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY: Well, it shows how, how clear cut his planning was, picking out the date and the place where he's going to commit the shooting and the location, his perch from where he was going to take his shot. (Inaudible) I do want to though discuss this issue about whether he wants to get caught. Most offenders do not want to get caught, and indeed he made pain (ph) to try to get away as opposed to surrendering. As far as discussing it with a roommate online, well, lots of offenders leak their intentions, their ideas, and even things they've done to confidants, not thinking that's going to end up with their capture.

SANCHEZ: It's not exactly leaking in this case. But, there were some details put out that the suspect had had conversations with a family member regarding Kirk and his viewpoints, and the family member had expressed a feeling of disdain for Kirk, saying that he was full of hate and that he was spreading hate. This is, of course, according to Governor Cox. There are obviously a lot of people who disagree with Kirk's views, but I wonder what you would be looking for to differentiate between a person who perhaps vehemently disagrees with someone and a person who does so to the point that they would take violent action against them.

ALAN FOX: Well, the question is whether it's all talk or all talk and action. The fact that someone is expressing these points of view, even though with hatred, there's not a clear sign that they're going to do anything. But when you see someone taking steps in terms of their weaponry and planning, that would suggest someone who indeed has the likelihood of going through with this idea. So I wouldn't blame family members for not coming forward, just the fact that he's talking about his hatred towards Kirk. I'm sure there's other people who felt similar, but that doesn't mean they were going to go and shoot him.

KEILAR: Charles, it's unclear -- it's unclear to me what the suspect is alleged to have told the roommate on Discord about the weapon afterwards, it's hidden in a towel, this and that. If that was something communicated actually after the crime or before. But nonetheless, with the expectation that before a crime like this, there is some leakage, that there is something a suspect may communicate. How should someone who might receive that information sift through it? I mean, when should they be alarmed? What should they really be on the lookout for?

RAMSEY: Well, if the information is as detailed as what they're telling us, and this was before the act, they should reach out to authorities and let the police kind of cipher through this and see whether or not this is something with teeth in it or not. Don't just sit on it because afterwards, I mean, you have to live with the fact that you didn't make the call. Whether he saw this before or after is a critical question.

The governor when asked whether or not anyone else would be charged, clearly said no. But, as the investigation unfolds and more information comes in, that could change perhaps. So, yeah, it may have been a little premature for the governor to make that definitive a statement around that, but it is an important point, Brianna. When did he know and how much did he know?

KEILAR: Charles Ramsey, James Alan Fox, thank you so much to both of you. We really appreciate it. And still to come, in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's murder, young people across the political spectrum are actually coming together to condemn acts of violence.

SANCHEZ: Plus, Breaking News this afternoon of a deadly shooting in Chicago tied to ICE operations. We have details on the suspect that was killed and the ICE enforcement officer who was seriously injured. And later, new numbers showing American consumers are getting more worried about the economy in the face of rising inflation. That and much more, coming your way next.

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[14:18:50]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COX: To my young friends out there, you are inheriting a country where politics feels like rage. It feels like rage is the only option, but through those words, we have a reminder that we can choose a different path. Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture that is very different than what we are suffering through right now.

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KEILAR: That was Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox talking directly to young people at this morning's press conference about their power to change the cycle of political violence in America. And to that point, we've actually seen a number of bipartisan joint statements that denounce the violence from groups representing young people.

SANCHEZ: In Connecticut, Young Republicans and Young Democrats put out a statement saying, "We reject all forms of political violence. There is no place in our country for such acts, regardless of political disagreements." With us now is Alan Cunningham. He's the President of the Young Democrats of Connecticut. Also joining us, Patrick Burland, Chairman of Connecticut Young Republicans. Thank you both for sharing your afternoon with us.

[14:20:00]

Patrick, first to you. I want to get your thoughts on the impact that Charlie Kirk had on young conservatives and how this is affecting you and folks in your organization.

PATRICK BURLAND, CHAIRMAN, CONNECTICUT YOUNG REPUBLICANS: Yeah, thank you for having me on. Charlie was such an important figure to so many conservatives like myself. There are so many people who he was the first person that made them want to get involved in politics. And so, as a young person himself, he connected with so many people. He spoke so well. He did things the right way, talking openly with people whom he disagreed with on hundreds of campuses across the country. So, it's extremely tragic and horrifying for so many young people, especially conservatives, to see someone who they admired be struck down in the way he was.

KEILAR: And Alan, I see you nodding. You've clearly been affected by this. Talk about that and about this decision between your organizations to put out a joint statement.

ALAN CUNNINGHAM, PRESIDENT, YOUNG DEMOCRATS OF CONNECTICUT: Yeah, I think everybody has been affected. It was one of those news stories where we all knew moments after it happened, and it affected all of us as we've all grown up with this kind of violence on our social media feeds. I've never actually met Patrick in person before I had to reach out to him, during that day. It was the first time we, as leaders of our sister organizations, contacted each other. So, we felt it was imperative at that moment that we speak in one voice denouncing political violence in all forms.

SANCHEZ: To your point, Alan, about being part of a generation that has become familiar with political violence and perhaps hasn't been cognizant of an era in which it wasn't so common, what do you think this is doing to younger folks that may want to get involved in politics? May not, but don't know of a different way?

CUNNINGHAM: I really hope that it doesn't deter people because politics is the art of making the possible -- impossible possible. And I really hope that we continue to have the right people join politics, and sort of denounce this fear. And I think when we have statements like the one Patrick and I put together, where the two parties can come together and speak in one voice denouncing violence, it's much more impactful and it helps move the entire country forward.

KEILAR: Yeah. Patrick, what do you think? Because, it is possible that a tragedy like this makes public service, makes speaking out seem like a venture that's too dangerous for some people who probably have a lot to add to the discourse.

BURLAND: Yeah, that's a frightening possibility that people would be too scared to speak out. You saw members of Congress seem shaken up about this and certainly, a lot of people at UVU are. But the last thing that something like this should do is deter people. Because the best way to honor Charlie's legacy is to continue to emphasize the free exchange of ideas without the threat of violence. And I think the resonance of the statement that Alan and I put together shows that people are hungry for this sort of human understanding of everyone's right to speak their mind and to come together, especially in tragedies like these.

SANCHEZ: Part of Charlie Kirk's mission from early on with Turning Point USA was to go to college campuses and spark debate, and he felt that conservative viewpoints were underrepresented on many college campuses. I wonder, Patrick, what you think this moment does to his mission, or at least to the idea that anyone should be able to go to a public forum, especially a college campus that's supposed to be a bastion of intellectual discourse and curiosity and hold these debates?

BURLAND: Well, I hope that this only emboldens more people to speak their minds. There's so many people that Charlie touched himself that I know will carry his torch on their own campuses and in young organizations like Alan's and I. So, I think that we'll see hopefully an army of people band together, say that we're not going to be cowed into fear, and we aren't going to resort to the kind of violence and division that has too often plagued politics. I think that this is a moment where the better nature of people can come out.

KEILAR: Yeah. Alan, I'm so glad to see you two talking and to be able to speak to you jointly.

[14:25:00]

I'm sure you're reflecting on this idea that it shouldn't come to this, right, to get you two in communication. And I wonder if you can kind of speak to that. When you're talking about having discourse between people of different points of view on a college campus, which seems like the place where it definitely should be happening, and you're talking to other leaders in organizations like yourself, what's your message to them about having those contacts while, I mean, still holding fast to whatever views you have and fighting for them?

CUNNINGHAM: Yeah. When I reached out to Patrick that day, I had to apologize first, because that was the first time we had spoken, and that should not be the case. We should always be reaching out. We should be building these bridges. And I think, when tragedies occur like this, it's an opportunity for individuals to step up and to come together and not dig down deeper and sort of divide yourselves more. I think this is real opportunity for our organization and our organizations across multiple states, which multiple states have taken similar action and coming together and speaking as one voice denouncing violence.

SANCHEZ: Alan and Patrick, thank you so much for the conversation. We very much appreciate it.

CUNNINGHAM: Thank you.

BURLAND: Thank you for having us.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk could soon face new federal charges. What would make things potentially more complicated for prosecutors?

KEILAR: And up next, are you feeling bad about the economy? Well, you are not alone. We'll have that and much more coming up on "CNN News Central."

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