A government official has reported that the suspect accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university event in Utah is not cooperating with law enforcement.
On September 10, 31-year-old Charlie Kirk was presenting at Utah Valley University in Orem as part of his American Comeback tour.
While responding to a question on mass shootings, he was struck by a single bullet, believed to have been fired from a nearby rooftop.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has identified the suspected shooter as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, who is currently detained.
In a recent interview, Cox, 50, suggested the suspect comes from a ‘conservative family’ and is not assisting police with their investigation.
Authorities are instead gathering information from the suspect’s family, friends, and forensic teams.
“He has not confessed to authorities. He is not cooperating, but all the people around him are cooperating,” he explained to ABC News’ This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “And I think that’s very important.”
Cox, who has been Utah’s governor since 2021, indicated that charges against the alleged shooter are expected to be officially filed on Tuesday.
Further developments are anticipated to be released in the coming days.
When questioned about the potential motive for the attack, Cox stated: “We’re all drawing lots of conclusions. How someone like this could be radicalized and I think that those are important questions for us to ask and important questions for us to answer.”
Cox also addressed a New York Times report alleging that the suspect had messaged others on Discord following the shooting.
The report claimed that the suspect had ‘joked’ on the chat platform about being responsible for Kirk’s death.
“All we can confirm is that those conversations definitely were happening, and they did not believe it was actually him. It was, it was all joking until, until he, you know, until he admitted that it actually was him,” he explained.
Elsewhere in the interview, Cox criticized social media, suggesting it has contributed to a culture of ‘addicted to outrage’.
“The conflict entrepreneurs are taking advantage of us and we are losing our agency. We have to take that back.”
Numerous political figures have condemned Kirk’s killing, including former US President Barack Obama.
Obama shared on social media that he and Michelle Obama were ‘praying’ for Kirk’s family, including his widow, Erika, and their two young children.
Public figures such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Amber Rose, and Ryan Garcia have expressed their condolences online.
“God bless Charlie Kirk. A true PATRIOT,” musician Kid Rock wrote. “Pray for him. Kid Rock.”
Meanwhile, Jake Paul suggested Kirk ‘got shot for telling the truth’.
“What a mentally sick time we are living through. We need god more than ever. Praying for Charlie’s family and praying for these evil people to heal,” he added.
The investigation into Kirk’s murder is still active, as confirmed by police.