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How the Gunman Who Killed Charlie Kirk Got on Campus and Escaped

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How the Gunman Who Killed Charlie Kirk Got on Campus and Escaped

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The New York Times

Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the killing of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, evaded detection for hours before climbing on a roof, where the police say he shot and killed Mr. Kirk during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. The authorities arrested Mr. Robinson on Thursday night after a 33-hour manhunt.

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A New York Times review of videos, a 3-D analysis of the scene and an affidavit released on Friday shed new light on the gunman’s movements in the moments leading up to the shooting and immediately after.

Arrival on campus

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The New York Times

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Charlie Kirk’s event, which had been scheduled for noon on Wednesday, was free to attend, and there were no visible barriers to access of the Utah Valley University campus that day, according to a Times review of images.

Mr. Robinson arrived on campus in a gray Dodge Challenger at 8:29 a.m. local time, nearly four hours before the shooting, officials said. Security camera footage reviewed by investigators showed the gunman wearing a different set of clothing than what he was seen wearing at the time of the shooting.

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It’s unclear what Mr. Robinson did for several hours after arriving on campus. Investigators said they were able to track his movements starting at around 11:50 a.m., when he was captured on video crossing a grassy area into a parking lot next to campus. A video published on Thursday by TMZ showed a person wearing similar clothing to Mr. Robinson’s near where authorities said he was spotted.

Mr. Robinson then walked across the parking lot toward a pedestrian tunnel. Investigators said he paused at the top of the stairs at 11:53 a.m. to pull out his phone, before continuing into the tunnel.

Images released by the F.B.I. show him ascending the stairs of a parking garage adjoining the tunnel.

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F.B.I. (left); Bora Erden/The New York Times (right)

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Investigators noted that Mr. Robinson was walking with a distinctive gait, with the mobility of his right leg appearing to be restricted. They did not provide information on where Mr. Robinson went immediately after exiting the garage.

Nearing the site of shooting

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The New York Times

At 12:02 p.m., according to the authorities, Mr. Robinson was seen walking on the north side of the Losee Center — the building where they say he would later climb to shoot Mr. Kirk. According to the affidavit, he entered the building from the southeast side, then, 13 minutes later, walked up a set of stairs to a walkway abutting the Losee Center.

He climbed over a short wall and crouched behind it, investigators said. He was then seen on video running across the roof — his limp now gone.

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The rooftop shooting of Charlie Kirk

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Leanne Abraham and Bora Erden/The New York Times

By 12:22 p.m., the gunman was in a prone position on the roof of the Losee Center facing the courtyard, where Mr. Kirk was speaking in front of about 3,000 people.

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A 3-D analysis of the shooting site showed no apparent barriers that would have blocked the gunman’s line of sight to Mr. Kirk, who was seated under a tent about 430 feet away.

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View from the roof of Losee Center

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Junho Lee/The New York Times

Those who attended the event said that security seemed light for an open amphitheater event with a polarizing figure like Mr. Kirk. Only six campus police officers were present, according to Utah Valley University’s chief of police, who added that Mr. Kirk also had a private security team that traveled with him.

For events of this size and scope, security experts recommend a comprehensive plan, working with local and federal law enforcement agencies to put in place security protocols, which could include establishing a perimeter with safety checkpoints and securing problem areas like rooftops.

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Mr. Kirk often traveled with a five-person detail, with one guard stationed onstage and others arrayed in front and back, said Greg Shaffer, who had protected Mr. Kirk for seven years. The team worked with the campus police on evacuation and security plans.

A Times analysis of footage from the event showed several people with what appeared to be earpieces facing the crowd minutes before the shooting. These individuals were also seen rushing to Mr. Kirk as soon as he was shot and transporting him to a car.

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Image via UVU Review and Logan Topham

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It’s unclear how visible the shooter would have been to the security detail on the ground near the tent, according to Times 3-D analysis. The shooter may have been hidden behind a parapet while lying in a prone position on the roof and dressed in dark clothing.

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Junho Lee/The New York Times

At 12:23 p.m., the gunman fired a single shot at Mr. Kirk, killing him. As the crowd dispersed, those who appeared to be security personnel quickly surrounded him.

Video also showed two campus police officers rushing in from behind the tent.

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Image via UVU Review and Logan Topham

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A fast escape

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The New York Times

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Immediately after the shooting, the gunman made a quick escape.

Video released by officials on Thursday showed him running toward the opposite end of the Losee Center, where he jumped at least 15 feet onto the ground.

He then headed back toward Campus Drive, and according to the authorities, crossed the road into a nearby wooded area. The gun used in the shooting was later recovered here, along with bullet casings engraved with various messages.

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The manhunt ended more than 200 miles away, officials said, after a phone call from a family friend of Mr. Robinson, who is being held in the Utah County Jail.

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Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

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Satellite images provide view inside Iran at war

Smoke rises over Konarak naval base in southern Iran on Sunday. The base was one of hundreds of targets of U.S. and Israeli forces throughout the country.

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Commercial satellite images are providing a unique look at the extent of damage being done to Iran’s military facilities across the country.

The U.S. and Israeli military campaign opened with a daytime attack that struck Iranian leadership in central Tehran. Smoke was still visible rising from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s compound following the attack that killed the supreme leader.

An image by the company Airbus taken on Saturday shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Iran's Leadership House in central Tehran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of attacks.

An image by the company Airbus taken on Saturday shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Iran’s Leadership House in central Tehran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of attacks.

Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

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Pléiades Neo (c) Airbus DS 2026

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Israel and the U.S. have gone on to strike targets across the country. Reports on social media indicate that there have been numerous military bases and compounds attacked all over Iran, and Iran has responded with attacks throughout the Middle East.

U.S. forces have also been striking at Iran’s navy. In a post on his social media platform, President Trump said that he had been briefed that U.S. forces had sunk nine Iranian naval vessels. U.S. Central Command did not immediately confirm that number but it did say it had struck an Iranian warship in port.

An image captured on February 28 shows a ship burning at Iran's naval base at Konarak.

An image captured on Saturday shows a ship burning at Iran’s naval base at Konarak.

Satellite image ©2026 Vantor


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Numerous satellite images show burning vessels at Konarak naval base in southern Iran. Images also show damage to a nearby airbase where hardened hangers were struck by precision munitions.

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Hardened aircraft shelters at Konarak Airbase were struck with precision munitions.

Hardened aircraft shelters at Konarak airbase were struck with precision munitions.

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And there was extensive damage at a drone base in the same area. Iran has launched numerous drones and missiles toward Israel and U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Many drones have been intercepted but videos on social media show that some have evaded air defenses and caused damage in nearby Gulf countries. In Dubai, debris from an Iranian drone damaged the iconic Burj Al Arab, according to a statement from Dubai’s government.

Buildings at an Iranian drone base at Konarak were destroyed in the strikes.

Buildings at an Iranian drone base at Konarak were destroyed in the strikes.

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Iran’s most powerful weapons are its long-range missiles. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have hidden the missiles deep inside mountain tunnels. Images taken Sunday in the mountains of northern Iran indicate that some of those tunnels were hit in a wave of strikes.

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Following Khamenei’s death, Iran declared 40 days of mourning. Satellite images showed mourners gathering in Tehran’s Enghelab square on Sunday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told NPR on Sunday that Iran will continue to fight “foreign aggression, foreign domination.”

A White House official told NPR that Trump plans to talk to Iran’s interim leadership “eventually,” but that for now, U.S. operations continue in the region “unabated.”

A large crowd of mourners fill Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday, following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

A large crowd of mourners fill Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday, following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

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Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

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Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

new video loaded: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

The first battle of the midterm elections will be the U.S. Senate primary in Texas. Our Texas bureau chief, David Goodman, explains why Democrats and Republicans across the U.S. are watching closely to see what happens in the state.

By J. David Goodman, Alexandra Ostasiewicz, June Kim and Luke Piotrowski

March 1, 2026

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Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

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Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

Gunfire rang out at a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday and at least three people were killed, the city’s police chief said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told reporters the shooter was killed by officers at the scene. 

Fourteen others were hospitalized and three were in critical condition, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said.

“We received a call at 1:39 a.m. and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” Luckritz said.

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There was no initial word on the shooter’s identity or motive.

An Austin police officer guards the scene on West 6th Street at West Avenue after a shooting on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Austin, Texas.

Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP


Davis noted how fortunate it was that there was a heavy police presence in Austin’s entertainment district at the time, enabling officers to respond quickly as bars were closing.

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“Officers immediately transitioned … and were faced with the individual with a gun,” Davis said. “Three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect.”

She called the shooting a “tragic, tragic” incident.

Texas Bar Shooting

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis provides a briefing after a shooting on Sunday, March 1, 2026, near West Sixth Street and Nueces in downtown Austin, Texas.

Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP


Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said his heart goes out to the victims, and he praised the swift response of first responders.

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“They definitely saved lives,” he said.

Davis said federal law enforcement is aiding the investigation.

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