Did Charlie Kirk hail shooter Tyler Robinson's religion just before his death? All about ‘Mormon faith’
Charlie Kirk spoke a laudatory ode to the Mormon church, which the suspected murderer himself had grown up in, just before he was shot dead, a new report said.
Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident, has been named as the man suspected of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He was detained on September 12 after his father recognized him in surveillance photos. His father allegedly called a family pal, who alerted the sheriff's office.
Neither the suspected gunman's political beliefs nor the cause behind the Kirk shooting were known. Police claimed that Robinson's relatives claimed he had grown “more political” in recent years.
What did Charlie Kirk say on Mormon faith followed by Tyler Robinson
At a Utah college event, Kirk spoke a laudatory ode to the Mormon church, which the suspected murderer himself had grown up in, just before he was shot dead, according to The Daily Mail.
The Turning Point USA's founder had been joking with a Mormon participant and praising the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was killed by a rifle shell that hit him in the neck.
“I love how Mormons send missionaries around the world, I love how polite they are. … Half my team is Mormon - Mormons are great people,” Kirk stated, drawing a thunderous roar from the audience.
Video footage showing him saying, “I'm an evangelical Christian, but I'm not one of those guys that hate on Mormons,” was shared on social media.
Tyler Robins held after 33-hour manhunt
After a tense 33-hour manhunt, Robinson was taken into custody. Authorities claim that Tyler used a trained hunting rifle to fire the fatal bullet from outside the venue before dropping the weapon in a forested area close to campus.
Authorities also discovered two empty shell casings close to the shooting site that were purportedly engraved with anti-fascist phrases, such as “Hey, fascist! Catch!”
In a news conference earlier Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed Tyler Robinson's identity and praised his family's cooperation in his apprehension, announcing his arrest.