Politics
WATCH: New Video Shows Suspected Kirk Killer Celebrating As ‘Bizarre’ College Record Is Revealed
The suspect in Wednesday’s assassination of Charlie Kirk once celebrated his entrance into college in a “bizarre” post that now appears empty after he received a major scholarship — only to drop out after one semester.
Twenty-two-year-old Tyler Robinson was previously praised as a “genius” by his mother, Amber, after being accepted into Utah State University on a presidential scholarship, which is awarded to no more than 161 U.S. college students each year. The Utah resident is now headed for a very different type of institution after turning himself in for the murder of Kirk, 31.
The motives of Robinson remain officially unclear, but evidence gathered from the scene of the shooting suggests a hostility toward President Donald Trump and MAGA supporters like Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, a nationwide organization dedicated to making conservative beliefs appealing on college campuses.
Messages inscribed on rifle shell casings found on a rooftop read “Hey Fascist! Catch!,” “If you read this you are Gay, LMAO,” and “Oh Bella ciao Bella ciao Bella ciao.”
Robinson left the state’s flagship university after just one semester and is now in his third year at Dixie Technical College in St. George, where he is enrolled in an electrical apprenticeship program, the Daily Mail reported.
Years earlier, Robinson was filmed by his family as he read a letter announcing that he was one of the rare recipients of the $32,000 presidential scholarship.
“Congratulations, you have been selected to receive the resident presidential scholarship from Utah State University,” he says in the video, which began circulating on social media Friday morning.
“The scholarship is available for four years or eight semesters.” Behind the camera, Robinson’s family cheers enthusiastically.
It’s unclear why Robinson chose to drop out of the school after one semester. A request for student disciplinary records by the Daily Mail went unanswered.
WATCH:
Family members who spoke with investigators recall a recent dinner with Robinson where he expressed his dislike of Kirk, telling his family that he felt “full of hate” toward the conservative activist.
Matthew Robinson, the suspect’s father, works in construction after previously spending 27 years as an officer with his hometown police department in Washington, Utah. Tyler’s mother, Amber, is a healthcare worker whose company contracts with the state to provide care for residents with disabilities.
Matt Robinson was the first to contact authorities — a colleague in the U.S. Marshal’s, according to President Donald Trump — and kept his son safe and confined until authorities arrived around 11 p.m. Thursday night to place him in custody.
Both parents are registered Republicans, according to online voting records reviewed by the Daily Mail.
