Charlie Kirk suspect 'refuses to admit' to shooting as fresh details of 'romantic relationship with roommate' emerge

Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested following a two-day manhunt after thousands of students witnessed 31-year-old Charlie Kirk being shot dead at a university campus in Orem on Wednesday.

Those around Robinson are understood to have been co-operating with the investigation, including his own father who turned him.

But the suspected assassin is giving nothing away to cops as they press him on his motivations, according to Utah governor Spencer Cox.

“He has not confessed to authorities.

“He is not cooperating but all the people around him are cooperating. And I think that's very important,” Mr Cox told ABC News.

He also responded to reports that Robinson had joked in an online chatroom about being the alleged killer.

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"All we can confirm is that those conversations definitely were happening, and they did not believe it was actually him.

"It was, it was all joking until, until he, you know, until he admitted that it actually was him," Mr Cox said.

However, fresh details about the suspected killer have emerged, including that he was in a relationship with his roommate who is currently "transitioning from male to female”.

"The roommate was a romantic partner,” Mr Cox told a broadcaster.

"We can confirm that that roommate is a boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female," he added.

The roommate has been "incredibly cooperative", he told NBC, adding that he had "no idea that this [the shooting] was happening".

The suspect is thought to have come from a "conservative family, but his ideology was very different than his family", Mr Cox has said, adding he had been "deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology".

He was also reportedly "full of hate and spreading hate" and "talked about why he didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had".

A neighbour described him as "smart" and "quiet", saying he "never caused any problems".

Robinson is set to be charged when he makes his first court appearance on Tuesday, according to the Utah County attorney's office.

Inscriptions engraved on bullet casings from the suspected murder weapon, a high-powered bolt action rifle recovered by officials, read: "Hey fascist! Catch!".

"Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao," another read.

"if you read this you are gay! LMAO," read another.

Robinson "had become more political in recent years," a family member told investigators, according to Utah governor Spencer Cox.

He is registered to vote but is not affiliated with a political party, according to Utah state records.

Robinson was also listed as inactive, meaning he had not voted in at least the last two general elections.

Father-of-two Kirk was shot in the neck 20 minutes into a student-sponsored event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday in front of an audience of 3,000.

Kirk, who was known for holding outdoor debates on campuses across the US, was responding to a question from an audience member about mass shootings when a shot rang out.

Graphic footage shared online shows Kirk sustained a serious injury to his neck. Spectators can be seen screaming and running away after the shot was fired.

Kirk was taken to hospital but just a few hours later President Trump announced Kirk's death on Truth Social.

He wrote: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.

"He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"