Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, once bragged about his long-range shooting skills while working as an apprentice electrician, according to a former coworker.
Robinson, described as quiet and withdrawn, rarely spoke on the job in 2023 while wiring a new apartment complex in St. George, Utah — except when the subject of guns came up.
“Right after Black Friday, I was showing my supervisor a pistol I bought,” the coworker recalled. “Tyler and another guy joined us, and the conversation turned to long-range shooting. That’s when Tyler said he made a 450-yard shot. It was one of the only times he showed excitement.”
The remark resurfaced in the coworker’s memory after news broke that Robinson allegedly fired the fatal shot at Kirk from the rooftop of the Losee Center Building at Utah Valley University. The single round struck Kirk as he addressed a crowd of about 3,000 people on Sept. 10. Robinson was arrested two days later and charged with aggravated murder.
“He was the last person I thought would do this,” the coworker said. “When I heard the suspect was a young guy from St. George, there were hundreds of people I would’ve suspected before him.”
Robinson had been employed by High Output Electric until late 2023, subcontracted under Wilde Electric for the St. George project. Company officials declined to comment.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox described the killing as a targeted “political assassination,” alleging Robinson was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.” However, the coworker disputed this characterization, noting Robinson avoided political discussions on site. “When politics came up, he’d leave the room and put in earbuds. He never engaged.”
One detail, however, stood out both on the job site and in the security footage from the shooting: Robinson’s body language. “Tyler always walked around with his fists clenched tight,” the coworker recalled. “I even joked about it once, asking if he was angry. He just said, ‘That’s what I do.’ Even in the UVU security footage, you can see his fists are balled up.”
The assassination shocked the political world and sparked widespread debate over ideological extremism and gun violence. Funeral arrangements for Kirk have been announced, with former President Donald Trump expected to attend.
