In the case of the shooting of conservative activist Kirk, an ally of former US President Trump, 22-year-old suspect Le Robinson has been apprehended. Before his arrest, he told his father, "I'd rather die than surrender."
According to BBC reports, Robinson is a third-year student in the electrician apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in southwestern Utah.
Authorities stated on the 12th that Robinson is a local of Utah, works as an apprentice electrician, and has lived with his parents "for an extended period of time." He will be formally charged next Tuesday (the 16th).
BBC's fact-checking team found that the suspect lived in St. George, Utah, near Zion National Park, about 400 kilometers from the campus where Kirk was killed.
He is the eldest of three brothers. Social media accounts show that Robinson's father runs a kitchen countertop and cabinet installation business, and his mother is a social worker. The family are members of the Mormon Church and are active in their local congregation.
Public records reviewed by the BBC indicate that Robinson was previously registered as a nonpartisan voter in Utah. According to state records, his father, Matthew Carl Robinson, and mother, Amber Denise Robinson, are registered Republicans.
As reported by BBC's American partner CBS, voting records show that Robinson did not vote in the last two presidential elections. He was not old enough to vote in 2020.
According to CBS sources, two law enforcement officers revealed that Robinson's father recognized his son from the FBI's released suspect photos.
Sources said that after the incident, Robinson admitted the crime to his father, who urged him to turn himself in. After Robinson said, "I'd rather die than surrender," his father called a young family friend who is both a pastor and a courthouse security officer.
The father and this friend tried together to calm Robinson, and the friend then contacted the U.S. Marshals Service, who proceeded to arrest Robinson.
U.S. authorities stated that after Kirk was shot, they found two unused bullets at the scene, with anti-fascist slogans engraved on the casings.
Anti-fascism is a loosely organized far-left activist movement, which has been active in U.S. street protests and other activities over the past decade. They often oppose Trump's policies and far-right groups.