Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, initially threatened to take his own life rather than surrender to authorities, according to law enforcement sources.
Robinson was identified by his father after authorities released images of the suspect on Thursday. Upon confronting his son when he returned home, the father asked directly whether he had been involved in the shooting. Sources say Robinson admitted to the act but initially refused to turn himself in.
Instead, he reportedly told his father he would rather die by suicide than face arrest. Concerned for his son’s safety, the father contacted their family’s youth minister—who also serves as a member of the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force.
The minister then reached out to a federal deputy, and the FBI took Robinson into custody without incident, sources said.
Robinson has since been arrested on charges of aggravated murder. Investigators believe he acted alone.