Charlie Kirkโs shocking death this week has already sparked a wave of conspiracy theories online โ one of the wildest claims being that a man near Kirk at the time of the shooting looked strikingly like a Secret Service agent who once protected Donald Trump.
On Friday morning, speaking on Fox & Friends, President Donald Trump announced that the suspect in Charlie Kirkโs murder is now in custody. Multiple U.S. media outlets report that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been identified as the suspected killer, citing unnamed sources.
โI think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody,โย Trump said during the interview.
As previously reported, Trump told Fox News that โsomeone very closeโ to the suspect helped lead authorities to them. The president also expressed hope that Charlie Kirkโs killer faces the death penalty.
Speaking on Fox & Friends, Trump said, โKirk was the finest person and he didnโt deserve this.โ
The connection to Charlie Kirk struck a personal chord for Trump, who survived two assassination attempts just last year.
In July 2024, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed to the roof of a building near a campaign rally Trump was holding in Butler, Pennsylvania, and opened fire.
One of the bullets grazed the presidentโs ear, but Secret Service agents quickly shielded him from harm.
Now, social media users are drawing comparisons between the security footage from Kirkโs fatal Utah event and images of the agents who once protected Trump.
โThe guy behind Kirk sure looks familiar,โ one Twitter user wrote.
Another added: โOne of the guys making hand signals seconds before the shot looks awfully familiar.โ
But fans were quick to set the record straight. โNot the same guy. The man in the Charlie Kirk video is his personal security guard and has traveled with him to multiple events,โ one person clarified online.
The person signaling with their hands moments before the shotsโisn't it familiar?#CharlieKirkshot https://t.co/PetvNBBcym pic.twitter.com/y1HENAZ0IF
— Dyor (@Powerfulmindx) September 11, 2025
The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday, September 10, at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was hosting an open-air debate.
โWe heard a big loud shot, I saw a bunch of blood come out of Charlie, I saw his body kind of kick back and go limp, and everybody dropped to the ground,โ Justin Hickens, who was approximately 60 feet from the shooting, toldย NBC News.
In an official statement, the agency said: โFollowing the shooting, the individual jumps from a rooftop and flees the scene. Trace evidence collected includes shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm print. The shooterโs weapon and ammunition were recovered in a wooded area near the university.โ
According to theย Wall Street Journal, authorities recovered the rifle used in the attack โ a .30 caliber bolt-action hunting rifle โ in a wooded area near the campus, where the shooter is believed to have fled on foot.
Wrapped in a towel, the rifle was found with a spent cartridge still in the chamber โ and three unspent rounds in the magazine โ โammunition engraved with expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology inside the rifle that authorities believe was used in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk,โ the WSJ reports.
Though officials have not released the exact wording of the engravings, multiple outlets report they appear to indicate a politically or socially motivated message.
The security at the event have also been under intense scrutiny. Only six police officers were on duty at the debate, according to Utah Valley University Chief of Police Jeff Long, who confirmed that Kirk also had a personal security team present.
โYou try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, today, we didnโt. Because of that, we have this tragic incident,โ Long said at a Wednesday press conference.
