The 22-year-old university student accused of assassinating MAGA firebrand Charlie Kirk grew up in a staunchly Republican, Trump-backing family, Daily Mail can reveal.
Breaking her silence on Friday, Tyler Robinson's grandmother Debbie Robinson, 69, said she is stunned by the charges against her grandson, describing him as a quiet, reserved young man who 'never' spoke politics, despite his father's staunch Trump support.
'My son, his dad, is a Republican for Trump,' Debbie, who also lives in Washington, Utah, told Daily Mail.
'[Tyler] is the shyest person,' she added. 'He has never, ever spoke politics to me at all.
'Most of my family members are Republican. I don't know any single one who's a Democrat.
'I'm just so confused.'
Law enforcement sources told Daily Mail that Robinson was taken into custody by his father, Matt Robinson, who is part of a family owned construction company.
Matt then alerted authorities and secured his son until he was formally arrested.
Tyler Robinson, 22, Charlie Kirk's accused assassin, grew up in a staunch Republican home who strongly support President Donald Trump
MAGA firebrand Kirk, seen moments before he was shot, was assassinated Wednesday on the UVU campus in Orem, Utah as he held a Turning Point USA event
Robinson's grandmother, Debbie Robinson, 69, told Daily Mail she was shocked by the allegations, describing her grandson as 'quiet' and 'shy,' adding that he never spoke about politics and that no one in their family identified as a Democrat
Debbie said her son hasn't answered her calls since the news broke on Robinson's identity as the suspect in Kirk's assassination.
She insisted there was no way her grandson could be involved, claiming she had never even known him to touch a gun, let alone own one.
'I don't think he ever shot a gun, to tell you the truth,' she said. 'He doesn't hunt, he's never liked anything like that. I know he doesn't own any guns.
'There's just no way he could have been that good of a shot,' she said.
She also said she never heard of the 22-year-old alleged killer having mental health issues.
'He's a wonderful child,' she said. 'There is no way that he could have done anything like that. I would cross my heart and promise that there was absolutely no way. He has never, ever gotten in trouble in his life. He's just a very shy, good kid.
'There's no way he could be violent,' she said. 'There's absolutely no way that he done that.
Debbie also revealed that Robinson works in St. George and that she had no idea that she was going to Kirk’s event.
The alleged killer confessed to his father Matt, who is a a 27-year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. Matt’s mother Debbie told Daily Mail he voted for Trump in the most recent election
Robinson seen in his mugshot after his dad Matt alerted authorities and secured his son until he was formally arrested
Officials released images of the person of interest who was sought in the manhunt on Thursday, who was seen wearing a black t-shirt with a bald eagle flying across an American flag
Robinson has two younger brothers, and lives in a $600,000 six-bedroom home in Washington, Utah - about 260 miles south of Kirk's assassination in Orem
Chalking it up to a possible chase of 'mistaken identity or something', she emphasized she believed Robinson couldn't be responsible for Kirk's murder.
'I've watched that child grow up and I can't imagine that it would ever, ever, ever be him. And I'm not just saying that as his grandma. It's just knowing him as I do,' Debbie told Daily Mail.
However, she did express her heartbreak for the MAGA influencer’s family, despite not knowing about him till Wednesday’s shooting.
'I've never heard of him ever, in my life, until I started seeing all this craziness going on,' Debbie said. 'I was sad, very sad for the wife. I read a bunch about it.'
But despite her insistence that her grandson wasn't involved in politics, officials said he had become more political in recent years.
'In the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had,' the governor said.
The suspect reportedly talked about disliking Charlie Kirk at a recent dinner with family, where he mentioned the conservative was coming to Utah, authorities said.
Robinson allegedly said at the dinner that 'Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.'
Robinson's family's support for President Trump was visible in 2017 photos on his mother's social media, showing him dressed as the president for Halloweens
His grandmother said she had never seen him holding or owning a gun, but a photo posted to Facebook showed him posing with an M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun
Robinson’s mother, Amber Robinson, who is also a registered republican according to public records, works for Intermountain Support Coordination Services, a company contracted by the state of Utah to help disabled people receive care.
Robinson was a student at Utah State University on a scholarship, insiders confirmed to Daily Mail.
The family's social media profiles show Robinson, who has two younger brothers, often enjoying family vacations and sharing smiling selfies, including one of his mother celebrating her 'genius' son getting into college.
Robinson was taken into custody around 11pm local time in southern Utah on Thursday night. He lives in a $600,000 six-bedroom home in Washington, Utah - about 260 miles south of Kirk's assassination in Orem.
Officials have yet to confirm a motive to the assassination.
Authorities said at a press conference on Thursday night that Robinson will face the death penalty if convicted.
Robinson's family's support for President Trump could be seen in photos posted to his mother's social media in 2017, where he was seen wearing a costume of the president for Halloween.
Images from Robinson's childhood show him with firearms, even posing with an M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun, undermining his grandmother's claims of him not being around guns.
Robinson's arrest comes after a manhunt for the suspect stretched to over a day and a half, during which officials released surveillance showing a figure on top of a roof leaping from a building and sprinting into a nearby neighborhood after Kirk was shot from around 200 yards away
Robinson's arrest was revealed by Trump on Fox News, who said 'someone very close' to the fugitive gave him up after a day and a half manhunt, during which authorities had offered a $100,000 reward.
Surveillance footage showed a figure on a rooftop leaping from a building and sprinting into a nearby neighborhood after Kirk was shot from roughly 200 yards away.
Bullet casings discovered by investigators had several inscriptions engraved on them, Cox said. The casing that had been fired read: "notices bulges OWO what's this?"
Cox said there were three unfired casings:
- One read, 'hey fascist! catch!' with an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols.
- Another one read: "oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao," Cox said.
- The third fired casing read: 'if you read this you are gay lmao.'
Police initially detained an elderly man who was later cleared, and several other suspects were also wrongly apprehended on Tuesday.
Robinson was a student at Utah State University, insiders confirmed to Daily Mail
Kirk, 31, was married and had two children
On Wednesday evening, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced that a 'person of interest' was in custody in connection with Kirk's shooting.
However, they were later released, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed.
'The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement,' Patel said in a statement.'Our investigation continues,and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.'
The conservative commentator was hit by a single bullet while speaking to a crowd at the public university in Orem on Wednesday afternoon.
The father-of-two, known for his fierce MAGA views and thrilling debates with college kids across the country, collapsed immediately after being hit by the gunfire.
Chaos then erupted after Kirk was shot 20 minutes into his 'American Comeback' event, with videos showing hundreds of screaming students running for safety.
Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings mere seconds before he was struck. He was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
He leaves behind his wife Erika Frantzve, with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son aged 16 months. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
President Donald Trump led tributes for the late political commentator. ‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’
The President has ordered all American flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening at 6pm EST in honor of Kirk.