The 33 hours to find Charlie Kirk's suspected killer: 'No sleep, go to work'

OREM, Utah (NewsNation) — Local law enforcement leaders took a moment Saturday to reflect on the assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University — and the subsequent 33-hour investigation that yielded a suspect.

“For 33 hours, it was no sleep and go to work,” Utah County Under Sheriff Shaun Bufton said of the multi-agency response. “From hour one, or minute one, it was so impressive. In probably 15 minutes, there’s 300 cops here — guys, gals, leaving the gym in their gym clothes, they’re with their families, off-duty. They jump in their vehicles, and they get here, they throw their battle gear on, and they go to work.”

Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, appeared on the UVU campus Wednesday to debate people who disagreed with his conservative views. Shortly after noon, a sniper fired a single shot from a roof 200 yards away and fatally wounded Kirk, who toppled backward in his chair. He was pronounced dead after being rushed to a hospital.

“We were all there to just witness a debate — a free country having a debate,” said Elliott Thorn, one of an estimated 3,000 people who saw the horrible event. “And somebody was killed over their belief systems.”

Local and state authorities began working with the FBI, which erroneously announced that a suspect had been quickly apprehended. In fact, that person of interest was released after being interviewed. The investigation picked up steam Thursday morning, when the first surveillance images of an actual suspect were released, showing a thin man with dark hair.

Photos played big role in Charlie Kirk investigation

FBI Director Kash Patel, who has been criticized for his agency’s handling of the case, on Saturday took credit for releasing images of the suspect, "against all law enforcement recommendations." The father of the alleged killer ultimately turned him in, Patel said.

“I would have to imagine, for me, that would be the worst day of my life ... The father absolutely did the right thing," Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith told NewsNation’s Brian Entin Saturday at the UVU campus, where a memorial to Kirk continued to draw supporters, many of them carrying American flags.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody at 10 p.m. Thursday. He was being held at the Utah County Jail on suspicion of murder and was expected to be formally charged next week, according to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who told the Wall Street Journal that Robinson had been "deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology."

What charges will Tyler Robinson face?

Even though federal authorities have worked on the investigation, NewsNation legal contributor Jesse Weber said Robinson likely will face state charges because federal laws may not apply to the Kirk assassination. Cox has said the killing is worthy of the death penalty, but Weber said that is not a slam dunk.

“For a defense attorney’s perspective, what are they going to do? They are going to say, ‘Look at the circus that has been created in the last few days. His mug shot has been plastered everywhere,” Weber said.

He said state prosecutors have signaled they will seek charges of aggravated murder and may try to argue Robinson endangered members of the crowd.

“Yes, the target was Charlie Kirk, but opening fire, with that many people around, that is the hook that they’re trying to get this to the highest-level felony in Utah,” Weber said.

Was Charlie Kirk wearing body armor?

Speculation has run rampant about whether Kirk, who faced protests and threats as he made campus appearances, was wearing a bullet-proof vest under his T-shirt.

Entin said the Utah County sheriff confirmed Kirk was not wearing armor, not that it would have made a difference in Wednesday’s shooting.