An in-depth look at photos, videos and
the context of what happened.
Shortly before Kirk's event began, the alleged shooter used campus stairwells to access the top of the Losee Center, which hosts most UVU administrative offices. Officials released initial images of the suspected shooter, who they had not yet identified, in a black T-shirt, blue jeans, gray hat and black sunglasses.
The UVU event was Kirk's first stop on his “American Comeback Tour.” It was hosted by Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization founded by Kirk in 2012 which aims to “organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government."
Around 3,000 people attended Kirk's speech, which was held at UVU’s courtyard, an outdoor amphitheater on campus for events, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Kirk was answering a Utah student's question when a gunshot rang out. The question centered on gun violence, asking Kirk if he knew "how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?”
Swarms of attendees bolted from the area, some wading through water in a campus fountain as they sought shelter. UVU student Brynlee Holms said she was in the back of the crowd when the “super loud” gunshot “echoed through the whole place.” They “fled everywhere,” she said, “all different directions.”
“And then I started running,” Holms said. “I got trampled actually a little bit. Luckily, someone was kind enough to help me back up, but we all just ran, I didn’t even know where I was going.”
Utah Valley University sent its first alert about the shooting nearly 20 minutes after Kirk was shot.
Authorities had detained a man immediately after the shooting. He was later identified as 71-year-old George Zinn, arrested on suspicion of obstruction of justice and ultimately released.
About 16 minutes after the university sent out an alert telling individuals to leave campus, the university changed course. An alert at 1:36 p.m. told people to secure in place if they were still on campus, and that they should wait for a police officer to escort them off campus.
Another 17 minutes later, the university sent two more messages. Based on interviews, people's devices may have received them in the opposite order of timestamps shown here. One told people to disregard the previous message. The other said a shooter was in "[INSERT LOCATION]" and told people to run, hide, or fight if they encountered the shooter.
Gov. Spencer Cox held a news conference with law enforcement Wednesday afternoon to update the public on the investigation.
“It just was beyond an ‘oops’ and a clear, just absolute, breakdown,” said an assistant professor at the university.
The Salt Lake Tribune agreed not to name the professor because he is not tenured and fears retaliation for speaking out. The Tribune confirmed his identity and that he is currently teaching at UVU.
The assistant professor said the alerts created confusion and panic – and a safety concern. In his conversations with others about the communication, he said, everyone has agreed that “in a different scenario, that communication absolutely could have gotten people killed.”
Investigators said early Thursday they had recovered a bolt-action rifle from a wooded area, but as of 5:30 p.m, authorities were still searching for the shooter. FBI Director Kash Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino had arrived in Utah by Thursday evening to help oversee the investigation.
At a news conference Thursday night, the Utah Department of Public Safety released a video showing the suspect jumping down from the roof of the Losee Center and walking away. Officials said they had received thousands of tips and conducted nearly 200 interviews during their investigation so far.
Robinson was taken into custody around 10 p.m. Thursday night, authorities later confirmed Friday morning.
Voter records show Robinson had not declared a party affiliation. He is a third-year electrical apprenticeship student at Dixie Technical College in St. George, according to the Utah System of Higher Education, which oversees all public universities and colleges in the state.
Robinson is now being held in the Utah County Jail. The governor said the suspect’s family, along with a friend, turned him over to law enforcement in Washington County. Robinson lived with his family in Washington city, Cox said.