Utah AG Brown to Newsmax: Utah United After Kirk Shooting, Robinson Arrest

Utah Attorney General Derek Brown told Newsmax that the state's coordinated response to the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and the arrest Thursday night of suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, reflects not only an intensive law enforcement effort but also a moment of unity for the community.

"This represents an amazing amount of coordination between so many levels of law enforcement," Brown said on "National Report," citing local sheriffs, prosecutors, the governor, the Department of Public Safety, and federal agencies.

"We've been in communication with the highest levels of the United States attorney general. And so, really, this represents a massive effort in coordination," he added.

Robinson confessed to a family member that he had shot Kirk, Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said at a news conference. The suspect has since been booked into the Utah County Jail.

Asked about the evidence against Robinson, Brown said investigators are still reviewing information but pledged to pursue every option.

"We're going to get a lot more information that the public will know about. Things are moving very fast, and we're not going to be wasting time at all," he said. "The reality is we will look at every legal option available to us."

Brown said the case has touched nearly every corner of Utah.

"This kind of episode in a relatively small state like Utah, where 3,000 people were in attendance, it touches everyone. Everybody knows someone who was there. I have close family members working through the emotions of witnessing not only someone being shot, but the aftermath — people scattering and hiding in classrooms."

He added, "I think this is a moment where collectively as a state, we can now breathe. And those of us on the law enforcement side can now put our heads together, make sure that our coordination is such that we bring this individual to justice."

Brown said his office is working with prosecutors to prepare charging documents in the coming days.

"Our office provides support and resources for all these different levels of law enforcement and those who will be involved in the prosecution," he said. "We'll spend most of our time now over the weekend working through this information and just getting ready."

But Brown stressed that the case also raises broader lessons about civic life.

"The reality is [Charlie Kirk] went into institutions of higher education and simply debated," he said. "It was just a discussion of ideas. I think we've reached an inflection point in our society where it's so critical that we learn how to disagree agreeably."

Echoing Cox's remarks, Brown said Utah has shown the nation a model for how to respond without violence.

"We've always here in Utah referred to what we call the Utah way. We pride ourselves on the ability to work with others, to see disagreement but work in a peaceable, conflict-free way," he said.

"You didn't see looting, you didn't see violence," Brown added. "What you saw was vigils and people talking about who Charlie Kirk was, and, at the same time, coming together as a community. True leaders will bring people together, and they'll look for this as an opportunity to unify and become better as opposed to divide and tear us apart."

Brown also addressed the security challenges of political events following what Cox called a "targeted political assassination."

"One of the key concepts that we believe in is the ability to have a free flow and exchange of ideas," he said. "Honestly, that's the balance that we have in a free and open society."

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