Restaurant Owner’s Tip Leads FBI to Kirk Suspect
PANGUITCH, Utah – In a small town in Utah, a local restaurant owner’s keen observation may have provided a crucial piece of the puzzle in the investigation of the Charlie Kirk assassination. Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old electrician arrested in connection with the crime, may have eaten his last meal as a free man at a roadside steakhouse in Panguitch, about three hours south of where the tragic event took place in Orem.
According to the restaurant owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, a customer resembling Robinson dined alone at the restaurant on the night of the murder.
“The server who attended to him mentioned that he was quiet and reserved,” the owner explained. “Usually, patrons who sit at the counter engage in conversation, but he seemed intent on eating and leaving.” The restaurant was bustling that evening, with a wait for regular tables.
The customer ordered a sirloin steak cooked medium-rare, accompanied by vegetables and a baked potato. The owner, a supporter of Kirk, expressed his distress over the situation, stating, “It’s a regrettable situation all around.” He also noted that he has connections to some of Robinson’s family members. “It has deeply affected the community due to our close-knit nature,” he added. “His grandmother grew up here.”
After Robinson’s arrest, his image was widely circulated. “When the young man’s picture was released, one of our servers was fairly certain that he had been here that night,” the owner told investigators. “That information was promptly relayed to the FBI.”
The FBI contacted the owner and interviewed him and two servers. While the restaurant’s card reader system does not store names when a PIN is used, and the security camera over the cash register did not capture the area where the customer was seated, the owner provided the FBI with the last four digits of the card used for the payment.
“That’s the extent of my involvement,” he said. “I’m unsure if the FBI determined whether it was conclusively him.”
The FBI, known for its discretion in active cases, has not confirmed whether the card number matches Robinson’s bank card. Panguitch is approximately 200 miles south of Utah Valley University, where Robinson allegedly shot Kirk from a rooftop using a .30-06 Mauser rifle.
The incident occurred as the 31-year-old Kirk, a father of two, was answering a question at a Turning Point USA event. Witnesses described chaos as the crowd fled the campus courtyard. Security footage showed a man believed to be Robinson fleeing the scene, dropping from the roof, and running into the neighborhood.
Authorities recovered the rifle wrapped in a towel in a nearby wooded area. Robinson reportedly returned to the scene and encountered a police officer, but he was not considered a suspect at the time due to the numerous personal belongings left behind by fleeing audience members.
Text messages between Robinson and his roommate suggest he attempted to retrieve the rifle before abandoning the effort. Surveillance video from a gas station in Cedar City, along the route between UVU and Robinson’s home in St. George, has also been obtained.
The stop in Panguitch, if confirmed, suggests that Robinson took a circuitous route using back roads instead of the interstate.
The restaurant owner hopes the attention will soon subside. “The staff involved were simply acting as responsible citizens and prefer not to be bothered,” he said. “They were just doing their job, serving customers. We’ve received numerous unusual calls and inquiries about the incident.”
