Students make a somber return to Utah campus where Charlie Kirk was assassinated

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Utah Valley University students are returning to classes Wednesday for the first time since an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that stunned the nation. Some students stood silently and stared down at the still-barricaded courtyard where Kirk was shot. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged a 22-year-old Utah man with capital murder. They say that during the frantic search to find Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson texted his romantic partner and confessed to carrying out the attack. Robinson faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday where prosecutors said they’ll seek the death penalty. The Associated Press left a message seeking comment from Robinson’s public defender.

A national flag hangs over the site where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University last week, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Jesse Bedayn)

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PROVO, Utah (AP) — Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the still-barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.

Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus that is still reeling more than a week after the shooting.

On Tuesday, prosecutors charged a 22-year-old Utah man with capital murder, saying that during the frantic search to find Kirk’s assassin, he texted his romantic partner and confessed to carrying out the attack he planned for more than a week.

Prosecutors revealed a series of incriminating texts, a hidden note and DNA evidence while announcing the charges and their intent to seek the death penalty against Tyler Robinson in the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.

Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and classifying some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Trump has further divided the country rather than work to bring people together.

In the wake of the attack, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.

“Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair.

Hidden note in suspect’s apartment

Investigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking to about 3,000 people on Sept. 10, he texted his partner and said to look under a keyboard.

There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.

After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said that DNA on the trigger of the rifle bolt-action rifle used to kill Kirk on the campus in Orem, south of Salt Lake City, matched Robinson. That rifle had been a gift from Robinson’s grandfather, the prosecutor said.

Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He mostly stared ahead as the judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.

Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

Investigators looking at whether Robinson had help

Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about or aided Robinson in the assassination. They have not said if the partner is among those being investigated but have publicly expressed appreciation for the partner sharing information.

The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run until the next night, when his parents recognized he was the person in a photo released by authorities and helped organize Robinson’s peaceful surrender.

The partner was not named in the charging documents that contained a narrative of the shooting and made public Tuesday.

Also getting a closer look is security the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.

Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?

Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.

While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.

Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.

“That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.

Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.

Parents said their son became more political

Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.

She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, where he grew up about 240 miles (387 kilometers) southwest of the Utah Valley campus.

Robinson detailed movements after the shooting

In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”

The texts cited in court documents did not include timestamps and it was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.

“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.

In addition to murder, Robinson was charged discharge of a firearm, obstructing justice and witness tampering. The prosecutor said Robinson had directed his partner to delete their text messages and stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.

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Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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