Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, returned to Utah Valley University hours after the shooting and encountered a police officer near where the murder weapon was later recovered, according to law enforcement.
Kirk was fatally shot in the neck at 12:23 p.m. local time during a speaking event in Orem, Utah, prompting a campus lockdown and a rapid law enforcement response.
Authorities responded swiftly to the shooting, securing the Utah Valley University campus and launching an intensive manhunt for Robinson.
Local police, assisted by state and federal agencies, established perimeters around key areas and deployed K-9 units to track his movements.
Officers also coordinated with campus security to ensure students and staff were safely evacuated, while aerial and ground searches scoured the surrounding neighborhoods.
The rapid, multi-agency response was critical in piecing together Robinson’s path and preventing further incidents.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason confirmed to Fox News that the 22-year-old circled back that evening and spoke with an officer stationed near the woods where investigators later found a Mauser .30-06 rifle wrapped in a towel.
Details of the encounter remain part of the ongoing investigation.
According to released documents, Robinson texted his roommate