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ST. GEORGE, Utah – Thirty-three hours after Charlie Kirk was gunned down at Utah Valley University, the suspect’s parents walked with him into a sheriff’s office.
The dramatic manhunt, marked by rooftop clues and a rifle inscribed with meme-like taunts, unfolded with investigators racing to track a gunman in real time.
"Tyler knew it was just inevitable with all the law enforcement pressure," Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby said after the surrender in a news conference. "He knew it was inevitable that he would be caught."
Here is a detailed look at what prosecutors describe as the 33 hours between the shot that killed Kirk and the moment his accused assassin surrendered to authorities:
Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah, prior to the assassination. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
TIMELINE:
SEPT. 10 MORNING
8:29 a.m. – Tyler Robinson, later identified as Kirk's alleged killer, arrived in Orem in a gray Dodge Challenger, according to charging documents. He initially wore light-colored shorts, a black hat with a white logo and light-colored shoes. Before the attack, he changed into jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt.
Speaking with Fox News’ Garrett Tenney, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Robinson walked through parts of the Utah Valley University (UVU) campus that morning, potentially scouting the area.
WATCH:
11:50 a.m. – Surveillance video captured Robinson walking onto the UVU campus from the north side.
A photograph of the person of interest in Charlie Kirk's assassination on Sept. 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. (Utah Public Safety)
SEPT. 10 AFTERNOON
12:03 p.m. – Cameras captured him entering the Losee Center and climbing stairs into a common area and scaling a short wall to reach the rooftop.
12:22 p.m. – Charging documents state Robinson stretched out in a prone position on the rooftop, aiming west toward the stage where Kirk sat.
12:23 p.m. – As Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, fielded a question during a Turning Point USA event at UVU, a single gunshot rang out. The bullet tore through his neck, narrowly missing others crowded around the stage, including children. Panic erupted in the plaza as spectators sprinted from the outdoor campus center. Joey Gallegos, a UVU student who was at the event, told Fox News Digital that people were "tripping over each other and trying to jump over the barricade" in the immediate aftermath of the single gunshot.
People run after a shot was fired at U.S. conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during a Utah Valley University speaking event in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10, 2025. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via REUTERS)
SEPT. 10 AFTERNOON
Shortly after the shooting – Surveillance video captured Robinson fleeing the rooftop carrying what appeared to be a rifle. He was then seen climbing down, dropping the weapon briefly before picking it up and running toward the northeast end of campus, charging documents state.
WATCH:
SEPT. 10: AFTERNOON
After the shooting, Mason told Fox News' Tenney that state investigators believe Robinson lingered in the area in an effort to retrieve his discarded rifle, despite the heavy police presence: "We're using technology to try to track his movements. And so we're really trying to retrace all of his steps of not only was he hanging around, where did he go? And did he have any interactions in that time?"
Investigators traced his path into a wooded area just beyond campus, where they discovered a .30-06 bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel.
Inside were four rounds of ammo: one spent and three live, each bearing inscriptions such as "O Bella ciao" and "If you Read This, You Are GAY Lmao," according to charging documents.
With no suspect in custody, law enforcement released grainy surveillance images to the public as the manhunt intensifies.
A photograph of the person of interest in Charlie Kirk's assassination on Sept. 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. (Utah Department of Public Safety)
2:40 p.m. – President Donald Trump announces on Truth Social that Kirk has died.
WATCH:
SEPT. 10: EVENING
Messages to his roommate – While law enforcement searched the area, Robinson texted his roommate, Lance Twiggs, from Orem, saying he was "stuck in Orem for a little while longer yet" and would not be back home in St. George until later. He appeared to admit responsibility for the shooting, writing: "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out."
LEGAL ANALYST CALLS FOR MORE ARRESTS IN CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION
SEPT. 11: MORNING
10 a.m. – The FBI released the first set of photos of the suspect.
The FBI released two photos as they sought a new person of interest in the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. (FBI Salt Lake City)
SEPT. 11: MORNING
10:45 a.m. – The FBI offers up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect.
Robinson's mother recognizes her son – Robinson’s mother saw images of the suspect on television released by the FBI and thought the shooter looked like her son. She called him, and Robinson told her he had been sick at home on both Sept. 10 and 11. Still, she expressed concern to her husband. Robinson’s father agreed the shooter looked like their son.
Robinson’s father recognized the weapon in the news coverage as the same bolt-action rifle Robinson had inherited from his grandfather. Concerned, he contacted Robinson and asked him to send a photo of the rifle. Robinson avoided the request and did not respond with a photo.
When his parents confronted him further, Robinson implied he was the shooter. He told his parents he "couldn’t go to jail" and admitted he just wanted to "end it." Asked why, he explained that Kirk "spreads too much hate," according to charging documents.
SEPT. 11: EVENING
8:02 p.m. – Brooksby said he received a call from a family friend of Robinson’s family who told him the suspect was willing to come in voluntarily. During the call, Brooksby learned Robinson had expressed suicidal thoughts and feared being killed in a law enforcement raid.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby holds a news conference Wednesday in Hurricane, Utah, in relation to the Charlie Kirk assassination investigation. (Pool / KSTU)
WHO IS TYLER ROBINSON? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK'S SUSPECTED ASSASSIN
SEPT. 11: EVENING
Just before 9 p.m. – Within the hour, Robinson arrived at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with his parents and family friend. He was greeted by plainclothes detectives to honor the condition of a "peaceful, gentle, comfortable" surrender. Robinson was not handcuffed, was given water and described as "quiet and somber" while he waited in an interview room with his parents until federal and state investigators arrived to take custody, according to Brooksby.
Booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)
SEPT. 12: MORNING
Approx. 2 a.m. – Robinson was transferred north to Utah County to be booked at "maybe about two in the morning," Brooksby said.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray speaks during a press conference in Provo, Utah, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, announcing formal charges against Tyler Robinson, conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin. (Deirdre Heavey for Fox News Digital)
SEPT. 13:
FBI officials tell Fox News Digital the suspect lived with a transgender partner who is now cooperating.
SEPT. 15: MORNING
FBI Director Kash Patel told "Fox and Friends" that he "can report today that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody."
SEPT. 16: MORNING
The Utah County Attorney’s Office files formal charges against Robinson, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and committing violence in the presence of children.
READ THE CHARGING DOCUMENT. MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE
SEPT. 17
Speaking of Robinson’s roommate and lover, Brooksby confirmed that he is in a "safe space very far away from St. George," the Utah town where the pair lived. He added that law enforcement officials are talking to the roommate’s associates.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI for comment on the timeline.
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Fox News Digital's Peter D'Abrosca and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
