In Orem, Utah, authorities announced the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on Friday, accusing him of the targeted assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which has heightened concerns over political violence in the United States. Robinson, who had grown increasingly political in the lead-up to the shooting and expressed opposition to Kirk’s views to his family, confessed responsibility to a family friend afterward, according to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

Key evidence included engravings on bullets recovered from a high-powered bolt-action rifle linked to the attack, as well as incriminating messages from a chatting app shared by Robinson’s roommate with law enforcement. Cox, a Republican, described the killing as an “attack on the American experiment” and called on younger generations to reject such violence.

The Wednesday shooting occurred while Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by the organization at Utah Valley University, where he was struck by a single shot in a crowded courtyard, rushed to a hospital, and pronounced dead hours later.

Investigators believe Robinson acted alone, having jumped from a rooftop and fled into nearby woods after firing; the probe remains ongoing, following Thursday’s public release of suspect photos and video that had prompted pleas for tips on his whereabouts.