Shooter’s Mother and father As soon as Gave Him ‘Build-Your-Own Gun’ Package for Christmas
The parents of the man who confessed to the murder of Charlie Kirk once gave him a “build your own gun” gift for Christmas, indulging his obsession with firearms that others who knew the family now look back on with alarm and shock.
Tyler Robinson, 22, the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk, spent most of his childhood fascinated by guns, according to social media posts that his family made over the years. These posts track the arc of his life from curious child to cold-blooded killer.
As a teenager, Robinson is seen posing with an M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun.
In another photo, Robinson shows off a scoped rifle, and in a third, he hoists a bazooka on his shoulder.
Trending Politics reports: Facebook posts by his mother, Amber, and younger brothers suggest the Robinson family made frequent trips to gun ranges where Tyler would practice the craft he’d later use to take the life of Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a father of two young children.
One photo from the range shows the mother smiling and holding up a U.S. Army machine gun.
At Christmas in 2017, Robinson’s brother is seen in a photo unboxing a “build it yourself” rifle kit that his parents gifted the boys. Tyler stands nearby, smiling and holding a brand new iPhone.
In another image from later that year, Robinson is seen at Halloween wearing a costume designed to make President Donald Trump appear like a horse being ridden. His younger brother stands next to him, dressed in black with a toy hunting rifle strapped to his back.
On Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that authorities had obtained the weapon used to kill Kirk: a Mauser bolt-action rifle, one of America’s most popular firearms for hunting.
Investigators believe Robinson scoped the side of a campus building before firing a single round from about 200 yards away, fatally striking Kirk in the neck as he answered questions in front of thousands of onlookers.
Law enforcement officials told the Daily Mail that the 22-year-old was taken into custody late Thursday night after confessing the murder to his father, a former police officer. According to President Donald Trump, his father, Matthew Robinson, informed the family pastor, who then alerted a U.S. Marshal.
Both Trump and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox have indicated they will support the death penalty for Robinson, who faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.