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OREM, Utah — The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk had expressed opposition to the conservative activist's viewpoints and indicated that he was responsible for the shooting, authorities said Friday as they announced an arrest in the killing that raised fresh alarms about political violence in a deeply polarized United States.

Tyler Robinson, 22, had become “more political� in the run-up to the shooting and mentioned during a dinner with family that Kirk would be visiting Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox told a news conference. The governor cited as evidence engravings on unspent bullet casings found in the rifle that authorities believe was used in the attack, as well as chat app messages attributed to the suspect that a roommate shared with law enforcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we got him,� Cox told a news conference soon after the arrest was first heralded by President Donald Trump on the Fox News show “Fox & Friends.�

Robinson is believed to have acted alone, and the investigation is ongoing, Cox said.

Robinson’s arrest late Thursday capped a frenetic day-and-a-half search that just hours earlier seemed stuck when authorities pleaded for tips and leads from the public. The assassination captivated the public not only because of Kirk's outsize influence in conservative political circles and his close connections with Trump but also because of the pressing questions it raised about the escalating toll of political violence that has spanned the ideological spectrum.

"This is our moment: Do we escalate or do we find an off ramp?� Cox asked, making an impassioned plea for young people to bridge differences through common ground rather than violence. “It’s a choice.�

A breakthrough came when a Robinson family member communicated to a family friend that Robinson had confessed or implied that he was responsible, information that was then shared with law enforcement.

Robinson’s father recognized him from the photos released by the FBI and told him to turn himself in. Robinson refused at first, but then changed his mind, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

His father reached out for help to their youth pastor, who also occasionally works with the U.S. Marshals and called the agency so he could turn himself in.

Family members of Robinson did not immediately return messages seeking comment. It was not clear if he had a lawyer. No criminal charges were immediately announced.

Authorities did not reveal a motive, but they did describe evidence that they said shed potential light on the slaying.

Among the evidence were engravings on bullet casings recovered from the high-powered rifle believed used in the attack, including one that said, “Hey, fascist! Catch!" Cox said.

In addition, a roommate shared with authorities messages from the chatting app Discord that involved a contact named Tyler and discussed a rifle wrapped in a towel, engraved bullets and a scope, the governor said.

The clothes the suspect wore when confronted by law enforcement late Thursday were consistent with what he had on when he arrived on campus a day earlier, Cox said.

Kirk was killed by a single shot in what police said was a targeted attack and the governor called a political assassination. Kirk co-founded the nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA, based in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. He had had been speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point at Utah Valley University at the time of Wednesday's shooting.

The Latest:

FBI Director Patel shares timeline of investigation

The first FBI agents arrived on the scene at Utah Valley University some 16 minutes after Kirk was shot on Wednesday, FBI Director Kash Patel said at the news conference.

The bureau released the first photos of the suspect on Thursday morning, followed by the announcement of a cash reward and then the release of video of the suspect climbing down from the roof of a campus building and running away.

“Just last night, the suspect was taken into custody at 10 p.m. local time,� Patel announced.

Governor says Kirk’s assassination ‘is an attack on all of us’

Cox said some people have asked why there have been so many resources dedicated to investigating Kirk’s killing when there’s violence around the country, but the governor said it is “much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us.�

The Republican said Kirk’s killing is “an attack on the American experiment� and values, and “cuts to the very foundation of who we are.�

Details of messages on bullet casings revealed

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?�

1. Cox said there were three unfired casings:

2. One read, “hey fascist! catch!� with an up arrow symbol, right arrow symbol, and three down arrow symbols.

3. Another one read: “oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao,� Cox said.

4. The third fired casing read: “if you read this you are gay lmao.�

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Kirk suspect: ‘We got him’

Cox opened a news conference on the latest developments in Kirk’s assassination with that statement.

Cox said the assassination suspect had grown more political and was opposed to Kirk’s beliefs, and that he had indicated to a family friend that he was connected to the shooting.

The president describes how he learned of Kirk’s assassination

Near the end of his Fox interview, Trump said he’d been holding a meeting about building the new White House ballroom when his aides interrupted.

“They came in and they said, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’ I didn’t know what they meant. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?’� Trump said.

�‘Charlie Kirk was shot.’ And they thought it was dead because it was so horrific.�

Trump said he swiftly ended his meeting. “I just told these people, “Get out, you gotta go.�

Suspect in custody in connection with Charlie Kirk shooting is 22-year-old from Utah, AP source says

The suspect in custody in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk is a 22-year-old from Utah, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Authorities have identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing