After public outcry from President Donald Trump, a 33-hour manhunt involving multiple agencies, and some fumbled arrests, it seems the killer of Charlie Kirk could finally be in custody. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been named in connection with the MAGA commentator's September 10 assassination, with him now facing charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice. Tyler Robinson is due to appear virtually for his first court appearance today (September 16), with many questioning why the supposed Republican voter would’ve shot the pro-Trump Kirk. A 71-year-old man was originally arrested in the aftermath of Kirk's murder, while the typical online rumor mill wrongly named a 77-year-old man from Toronto as the killer.
With the FBI's trail seeming to run cold, the agency released security footage of someone fleeing the scene, as well as further CCTV that gave a clearer look at the supposed shooter. This led to Robinson's father turning him in after reportedly recognising him.
A series of disturbing Discord messages might give us a closer look at what was going on in Robinson's mind, while others appear to show his confession just hours before he was arrested.
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Now, there are questions about Robinson's father after Utah's Governor Spencer Cox said a member of the alleged shooter's family reached out to a friend. It's reported that the friend then contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office and said Robinson "had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident."
NBC News claims the relative is Robinson's father, who spoke to a church minister, who then contacted a local sheriff.
As the hunt for Kirk's killer kicked into overdrive, the FBI confirmed a $100,000 reward for any information that could lead to an arrest. Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz then offered an additional $25,000, while conservative activist Robby Starbuck promised to match this amount, and billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman offered a jaw-dropping $1 million. The grand total of a reward leading to the arrest of Charlie Kirk's killer is $1,150,000, meaning his father could be entitled to it.
Ackman has suggested that Robinson's father could at least be getting $1 million, taking to X and confirming that the family would be paid as long as they weren't complicit in Tyler Robinson's supposed plans.
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The billionaire reminds us that rewards "need to be paid even if the recipient is a crook or worse." In the case of Tyler Robinson, if his father is involved or acted negligently, Ackman states that "civil litigation or criminal prosecution will reverse any unjust compensation."
Added to this, he says that he's heard that the Robinson family would waive any right to a reward, with Ackman saying he would still provide his $1 million to whoever the FBI deems it should be paid to.
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Fact-checking website Snopes has also examined the claim that Matthew Robinson has said he'd donate the reward to Charlie Kirk's family. The outlet refers to an article that was headlined "BREAKING: Tyler Robinson's Father Vows to Donate $1.15 Million Reward to Charlie Kirk's Family." Although many social media users shared the link to this, it was one of those ad-laden websites that generate money through sensationalist headlines and earn clicks.
While Ackman has reiterated he's a man of his word, it's unclear who (if anyone) will get that $1.15 million reward.