Kirk shooting suspect not cooperating with authorities, Utah governor says

The man arrested in the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is not cooperating with authorities, but investigators are working to establish a motive for the shooting by talking to his friends and family.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said the accused gunman, Tyler Robinson, 22, would be formally charged on Tuesday. He remains in custody in Utah.

Investigators have yet to piece together why Robinson allegedly scaled a rooftop at Utah Valley University during an outdoor event and shot Kirk in the neck at long range on Wednesday.

Kirk, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and co-founder of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, was killed by a single rifle shot during the event attended by 3,000 people in Orem, about 65 km south of Salt Lake City.

The killing ushered in newfound fears of a spike in political violence in the United States and an ever-deepening divide between the left and the right.

Robinson has not confessed to investigators, Cox told the ABC programme This Week. "He is not cooperating, but all the people around him were cooperating, and I think that's very important," the Republican governor said.

One person who is apparently talking to investigators is Robinson's roommate, who was also a romantic partner, Cox said, citing the FBI. Reuters has not been able to locate the roommate, or representatives for the roommate, to seek comment. Reuters could not determine who is serving as Robinson's legal representative.

Investigators found messages engraved into four bullet casings, which included references to memes and video game in-jokes. An affidavit filed by authorities in the case described these messages.  

Kirk's charged rhetoric, which often involved anti-immigrant comments, attracted legions of conservatives, but also engendered strong feelings from liberals and drew widespread criticism.

Robinson, a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship programme at Dixie Technical College, part of Utah's public university system, was taken into custody at his parents' house, about 420 km southwest of the crime scene after a 33-hour manhunt.