The founder of Turning Point USA known for engaging with college students on their campus about key issues of the day, Kirk was gunned down Wednesday while speaking to an estimated crowd of 3,000 at Utah Valley University.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, says Robinson is believed to have acted alone and the investigation is ongoing despite his arrest.
The FBI released photos and asked for help in locating a suspect on Thursday.
The accused shooter had earlier expressed to family his opposition to Kirk’s viewpoints, according to Cox.
Officials had previously recovered a “high-powered” bolt action rifle in the wake of the shooting.
President Donald Trump in an appearance on Fox and Friends Friday morning explained how investigators found the suspect — with help from a minister, a member of the U.S. Marshals Service and the suspect's father.
Sources told Fox News that Robinson's father played a role in his surrender.
Cox said during a press briefing Friday morning that the suspect's family "did the right thing." Relatives and his roommate also cooperated with investigators, he said.
Utah is a death penalty state, and Trump told Fox and Friends he hopes the suspect, if found guilty, receives the death penalty. Utah last carried out an execution in 2010.
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was sitting under a tent around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, debating with students on hot-button current affairs issues, when a single shot rang out. Video from the scene shows him struck in the neck before he slumped out of his chair.
The shooting has made the subject of political violence, from both sides but what seems to be aimed more at conservatives, a national conversation.
Daily Signal Editor Tyler O’Neil was able to document seven high-profile incidents before Kirk’s death: An attack against Rand Paul, a Republican U.S. Senator from Kentucky, in 2017; Minnesota State Republican Senator Shane Mekeland in 2018, a thwarted attack against conservative Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022, the Butler, Pennsylvania attack on Trump in July of 2024, the West Palm Beach attack on Trump in September of 2024, plus the FRC and Scalise mentioned above.
The attacks on Kirk and Trump are the only known long-range efforts with sniper fire.
“There are a few situations where Democrats have been attacked. There have been multiple attacks on Republicans and conservatives in the past few years,” O’Neil said on Washington Watch Thursday.
The Associated Press and Fox News contributed to this report.
