() Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby says a retired deputy, his voice “shaky,” called him the morning of Sept. 11, saying he knew who shot Charlie Kirk.

The man, who knew the Robinson family through church, identified Tyler Robinson. “I couldn’t fathom what actually came out of his mouth,” Brooksby said of the call. “He said, ‘Hey, I know who Charlie Kirk’s shooter is.'”

Brooksby alerted Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, and within an hour, the retired deputy drove Robinson and his parents to the authorities.

The 22-year-old man accused of assassinating the conservative political activist appeared in court Tuesday wearing a protective vest and special gown in jail.

Robinson showed no emotion during the virtual hearing as he faced seven charges, including aggravated murder and witness tampering, in connection with Kirk’s death last week at Utah Valley University

Tyler Robinson feared being shot by police: Sheriff

Robinson feared being killed by law enforcement and negotiated specific terms for a peaceful surrender.

Plainclothes officers took him into custody under an agreement that he would be treated “as delicate and soft” as possible.

The sheriff said Robinson knew his capture was “inevitable” after his photo and the murder weapon appeared in news reports.

“He was truly fearful of being shot by law enforcement,” Brooksby said during a news conference. “He didn’t want a big SWAT team hitting his parents’ house or his apartment.”

Sheriff says Tyler Robinson negotiated gentle surrender

Robinson surrendered without handcuffs and spent about 2 1/2 hours sitting on a couch with a water bottle while waiting for lead investigators to arrive from Utah County.

“We made concessions to make that happen,” Brooksby said. “If at the end of the day we accomplish him surrendering peacefully on his own, I’m going to make some concessions.”

Robinson appeared “quiet and somber” during the surrender, according to Brooksby. His parents remained with him throughout the process as part of the negotiation terms.

Misinformation spread about retired deputy with same name

The sheriff clarified confusion about the retired detective’s identity, noting that some media reports incorrectly suggested the man was related to Robinson or was a current deputy. The misinformation led to harassment of an unrelated retired deputy with the same last name as Robinson.

Brooksby said Robinson had initially driven to a remote area of Washington County with apparent suicidal intentions but was convinced by his parents not to harm himself. The family then contacted the retired detective, who knew them through church connections.

All interactions during the surrender were recorded, and Robinson was ultimately transferred to federal and state investigators around 2 a.m. Friday for transport to Utah County, where he now faces charges including aggravated murder.

The FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety are leading the joint investigation into Kirk’s death, which occurred during a campus speaking event at Utah Valley University.

Charlie Kirk suspect text messages reveal weeklong planning

Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray confirmed he is seeking the death penalty against Robinson.

Charging documents revealed Robinson’s mother first recognized him from surveillance photos released by authorities. When she called to ask his whereabouts, Robinson claimed he was sick in bed.

Robinson’s father became suspicious after police described finding the murder weapon a bolt-action rifle that matched one he had given his son. When the father asked Robinson to send photos proving he still had the rifle, it triggered a text conversation between Robinson and his roommate that ultimately led to his confession.

According to prosecutors, Robinson’s mother told investigators her son had become more political over the past year, “leaning more to the left” and becoming “more pro-gay and trans rights-oriented.” She said Robinson had begun dating his roommate, described as a biological male transitioning genders.

When asked why he committed the murder, Robinson told his parents, “There is too much evil and the guy spreads too much hate,” referring to Kirk.

Text messages between Robinson and his roommate showed Robinson had been planning the attack “a bit over a week.” After confessing to the killing, Robinson directed his roommate to a note he had left under his keyboard and asked him to delete their text conversations.

In the messages, Robinson said he was concerned about retrieving his grandfather’s rifle than about taking Kirk’s life.

“I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpa’s rifle,” Robinson wrote, according to charging documents. “I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints.”

Police found Robinson’s fingerprints on the rifle’s trigger, along with DNA evidence on a towel wrapped around the weapon and a screwdriver found on the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired.