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Brian Entin Investigates Charlie Kirk Assassination: Tyler Robinson's Trans Roommate Cooperating, FBI Used Facial Recognition Technology
Brian Entin reports from Utah Valley University where Charlie Kirk was assassinated, revealing new details about the investigation. Utah Governor confirms the alleged assassin Tyler Robinson's roommate and romantic partner is transitioning from male to female and has been cooperating with authorities, while Robinson himself refuses to cooperate with police. The investigation reveals Robinson came from a conservative family but was deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology, spent significant time in dark corners of Reddit and gaming culture, and was identified partly through FBI facial recognition technology from Clearview AI that scans over 70 billion public images.
New Developments in the Investigation
Brian Entin reports from outside the memorial at Utah Valley University where Charlie Kirk was assassinated. New information continues to emerge about the investigation into the shooting that shocked the nation. The governor of Utah confirmed that the alleged assassin Tyler Robinson's romantic partner and roommate is trans and was transitioning from male to female. Additionally, Entin confirmed through his sources that Tyler Robinson is not cooperating with police in the investigation.
The crime scene at Utah Valley University is beginning to be cleaned up as officials prepare to reopen the area and resume classes. People who were present during the assassination are now being allowed to return to collect belongings they left behind when they fled—book bags, strollers, and personal items from the more than 3,000 people who were there. Many of these individuals are visibly traumatized as they return to the scene.
The Roommate's Cooperation
The governor of Utah confirmed that Tyler Robinson's roommate, described as a romantic partner who is male transitioning to female, has been incredibly cooperative with investigators. The governor emphasized that this person had no idea the attack was being planned and was shocked when it happened. Law enforcement sources corroborated this information, repeatedly emphasizing how cooperative the roommate has been throughout the investigation.
In stark contrast, Tyler Robinson himself has not been cooperating with police or investigators. The governor stated, "All the people around him are cooperating," highlighting Robinson's refusal to assist in the investigation. The governor confirmed reports that the roommate was indeed Robinson's boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female, information that the FBI has verified. This person did not have any knowledge of the planned attack and was shocked upon learning about it.
Background and Ideology
According to the governor, Tyler Robinson comes from a conservative family, but his ideology was very different from his family's values. This ideological divide is now a key part of the investigation. The governor stated clearly that investigators believe Robinson "was deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology."
The investigation has also revealed Robinson's immersion in gaming culture. Some of the inscriptions found on the gun used in the assassination connect back to video games. The governor noted there was "a lot of gaming going on," and friends have confirmed that Robinson was deeply involved in "a deep dark internet Reddit culture and other dark places of the internet."
Despite this troubling trajectory, Robinson was apparently intelligent. The governor confirmed that he scored a 34 on the ACT and had a full ride scholarship to a university, but didn't even last a semester before dropping out. The governor posed a critical question: "We need to understand that and we need to figure out how to stop it."
A Family's Devastation
The question of how someone from what appears to be a good family could commit such an act haunts the investigation. Producers and reporters have been talking to family friends in Washington, Utah, about three and a half hours from Salt Lake City in the southern corner of Utah, not far from Las Vegas. By all indications, this was a nice family that did the right thing when their son confessed to them.
According to investigators, when Robinson confessed to his father, they went together to a family friend who was a law enforcement veteran with apparently 27 years of experience. Together, they facilitated Robinson turning himself in to police.
A neighbor who lives near the parents described them as hardworking, good parents who were very close-knit and did everything together. The neighbor expressed shock, saying she didn't see Robinson as "that kind of kid." She attributed the transformation to social media, friends he associated with, and mental health issues, noting that "a lot of the crap that comes off of social media has a lot to do with your mental health."
Law Enforcement Perspective
Entin spoke with the Utah County Sheriff and Under Sheriff, whose office responded to the shooting initially and where Robinson is now being held in the Utah County jail. The sheriff confirmed that Charlie Kirk was not wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of the assassination, though it likely wouldn't have mattered since he was shot in the neck.
The sheriff described the emotional toll on the community and the nation, calling the attack "a big blow." Regarding social media's influence on young people, the Under Sheriff stated, "The social media is just not good for the young, I don't think. I'm probably old school, but it just really hurts them. They get in these groups and it's kind of bad."
Both law enforcement officials acknowledged the deep political divisions in America. When asked if this could be a moment where things get better, the sheriff responded, "I think it could. I think we have a choice in front of us. We could get better or it could be a moment where we could get worse. I truly hope we get better, but I think there's an element of our society that isn't on board with that, that they would like to keep this going, that the hate, the vitriol, it is just pouring in over someone's death."
The 33-Hour Manhunt
During the 33 hours when the manhunt was underway, the entire country was on edge. The sheriff described non-stop work, praising the sheriff's department and all law enforcement in the valley. "Everybody just came together and for 33 hours it was no sleep and go to work," he said. Within approximately 15 minutes of the shooting, 300 officers arrived on scene, many leaving the gym in their gym clothes or coming from time with their families while off duty, jumping in their vehicles, putting on their battle gear, and getting to work.
FBI Director Kash Patel released a statement noting that against all law enforcement recommendations, they demanded video footage and enhanced stills of the suspect be released to the public. Robinson's father told law enforcement that he recognized his son in that released video. The sheriff praised the father's courage, saying it had to be "the hardest thing they've ever done in their life," while acknowledging it took tremendous courage and that the father absolutely did the right thing. This action drastically changed the lives of two families.
Facial Recognition Technology
Entin reported early on that Tyler Robinson was on the FBI's radar before his father came forward. While the father seeing the photo or video and recognizing his son got the ball rolling, Robinson was already on a list of possible suspects. Investigators compiled this list through multiple methods, including running license plates of everyone who had been on or near the campus and using facial recognition technology.
The FBI uses facial recognition software that could one day be as important as DNA in solving crimes. The technology allows investigators to input a surveillance image into AI software that searches through billions of images on the internet and social media to identify individuals. In this investigation, the FBI used software from a company called Clearview AI.
Entin spoke with the CEO of Clearview AI, who confirmed that facial recognition was used in the case. While he couldn't confirm the sequence of events, he acknowledged that Clearview AI has a facial recognition contract with the FBI and is "the only open-source facial recognition company in the United States." The company has over 70 billion publicly accessed images in its database.
The CEO explained how the technology works: "You take an image of an individual, let's say in a case, and if they have video or they have an image of someone, they can run it through the software and within seconds it retrieves any images that match the image that they're being looked at." The technology is 99.99% accurate with an extremely high hit rate.
The CEO also revealed that he had been friends with Charlie Kirk since 2015, when Kirk was just 21 years old. He described Kirk as polished, mature beyond his years, a unicorn who was irreplaceable. He expressed the strange feeling of knowing that his technology played a part in the investigation into the murder of his friend.
A Survivor's Story
One of the most meaningful conversations Entin had was with a man named Elliot, who was eight feet from Charlie Kirk when he was shot. Elliot was there with his wife and baby, and he dove on top of his baby out of instinct when he heard the first shot.
Elliot described the experience as "probably one of the most extreme experiences I've ever had in my entire life." He brought his family because these events are usually very safe environments. He remembered being 8 to 10 feet from the stage because he genuinely wanted to ask Kirk a question. His wife asked him to help with their overheated son, and right as he was tending to the baby, someone was discussing the transgender debate and guns.
"Charlie put his mic down on his left-hand side and said, 'You talking about gun violence?' And then right at that moment there was probably like a 3-second pause and it went quiet in the whole area," Elliot recalled. "It was silent enough for us to hear the gunshot. The gunshot sounded like a distance away, man. And when it hit Charlie in his neck, that was a shock."
Elliot described the moment of decision: "You have just a split second to react. Like what do I do? Do I just be the dad that freaks out and runs or do I take a second and pause and realize like, 'Hey, I got to take care of my family.'" He remembered his wife yelling to grab the children, turning to his wife and hunkering her down, grabbing his son and diving on top of them. His father-in-law, described as a strong country man, had absolute terror on his face because all of his children were there.
"That was probably the most scared I've ever been ever. I've never felt terror like that. I thought I was going to get shot in the back," Elliot said. He's having trouble sleeping because when he shuts his eyes, he keeps replaying that image and experience.
Reflections on America
Elliot expressed profound sadness for Charlie Kirk and his family: "That wasn't just a political assassination. That was a murder of a husband and a father. This person had a message to share with people and he was silenced over his opinions. And to me, that is not the country that I want to be a part of. That right there tells me exactly where we're at as a collective. We're so extreme right or so extreme left that we're missing the core fundamental aspects of what's going on here, man."
He noted that there are no winners—not Charlie's family, not Elliot's family, and not the Robinson family, whose son is being charged with assassination and whom they've essentially lost.
When asked if this is a turning point in America, Elliot reflected on how when he was a kid in the 90s, the only school shooting he heard of was Columbine. Now it's become so consistent that society is normalizing it. Teachers are getting trained to open carry, getting defensive tactic classes, and children are learning duck and cover drills.
"Everybody wants to blame it on gun violence, and that's a smoke screen," Elliot argued. "The biggest thing that I keep talking about is we have a mental health crisis going on in our country. A gun doesn't fire and operate unless somebody's operating behind it."
His hope is that Charlie Kirk doesn't just become another statistic that the country shoves under the rug after a few days. He wants this to be a turning point where the country starts focusing on the core aspects of what's actually going wrong.
The Need for Connection and Accountability
Elliot, who is Mormon like much of the community in Utah, discussed how the Robinson family are also active members of the church. He looks at them as brother and sister who share his same values and belief systems, and he cannot imagine how difficult it was for a father to make the decision to turn in his son.
"All it made me realize as a community is we need more spirituality, people taking the time," Elliot said. He clarified he doesn't want to say religion because it has such a negative connotation, but rather finding your own personal spirituality—more self-introspection, meditation, personal development, challenging thinking and thought processes, reaching out to people, trying to find self-help.
Elliot believes in the ripple effect of personal development into all aspects of life, regardless of whether someone is Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or anything else. "Being able to have a foundation into continually doing personal development, I think that's a lost art that's taking place in our country. Everybody's taking this victim mentality role, man. And I want to see our country be accountable again."
He argued that if Donald Trump could change his slogan to one thing, it would be "Make America Accountable Again." Elliot explained that while he can't help the people, places, and things that come into his life, how he chooses to react is the only thing he can control. He could use this situation to be a victim, but instead he's choosing accountability.
He praised Charlie Kirk's wife as "hands down one of the strongest women" who could be the biggest victim of all, but who got up and said her story doesn't stop with her husband and that she's ready to keep going. "Dude, I'm ready to go with you," Elliot responded. "You've got an army behind you of Americans that want to see changes like this happen."
What's Next
Tyler Robinson's first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, when charges are expected to be formally filed. While there will certainly be a murder charge, the governor has stated multiple times that they plan to seek the death penalty. Utah has the firing squad as a method of execution. More information is expected to come out this week as the investigation continues.
Video Transcript
Hey guys, I'm outside the uh memorial here at Utah Valley University for Charlie Kirk. There's new information coming out about the investigation. The governor of Utah is now confirming that the alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson's romantic partner and roommate, uh is trans and was transitioning from male to female. Also new, I've confirmed that Tyler Robinson is not cooperating with police right now in terms of the investigation. I'm going to explain all of this, tell you everything new that I've learned over the last day in this edition of Brian Entim Investigates. Hey guys, thanks again for checking out my channel. I really appreciate it. Please click to subscribe. Uh I'm outside the crime scene here still where Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Um they're starting to clean it up. The plan is to reopen the area soon because they want to get classes back in session here. And it's actually really sad today. uh they just started um allowing people to return to get their belongings that they left behind. Um and when these situations happen and people run and then it gets closed down and becomes a crime scene, you know, people leave behind their book bags and there was one family that left behind their stroller and all sorts of stuff. I mean, there was like, you know, more than 3,000 people there. So, a lot of those people are now showing back up here um to claim their belongings, which is, you know, people are really traumatized by this. And you can imagine there's a certain level of PTSD and that kind of thing. So, um I'm just meeting a lot of those people are showing back up today. Um but I wanted to give you the latest on the investigation. Um you know, there's been a lot circulating. There's been a lot on social media, but a lot has now been confirmed by the governor this morning, and I've been able to confirm a lot. So, I want to go through everything that I actually have confirmed either by investigators or by the governor. Um, not to say other stuff that you're seeing and reading isn't true, but uh, if you just started following me, you know that I really only report things that I've been able to confirm by sources who I trust or things that have come out officially from either investigators or the governor. So, I'm going to go through everything new that I have. Um, right now, uh, the governor of Utah has confirmed that the roommate uh, of the shooter, Tyler Robinson, uh, was a romantic partner, a male, transitioning to female. Uh and this partner, the governor says, has been incredibly cooperative and had no idea this was happening uh and is working with investigators right now. And that and that last part, that is something that I've confirmed through my law enforcement sources. Um that this person has been highly cooperative. Uh and they continue to emphasize that. Um which is interesting. So, um, but but again, confirmation from the governor that, uh, that the alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson's roommate and romantic partner is trans and was transitioning, um, from male to female. Um, this is also new. Uh, Tyler Robinson um has not been cooperating with police. He has not been cooperating with investigators. So, the roommate has been cooperating, but Tyler Robinson has not been cooperating. And the governor said this, "All the people around him are cooperating." And I think that's very important. There were reports yesterday that we can confirm again that his roommate was indeed a boyfriend. This is a quote from the governor who was trans a boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female. That's the information that the FBI has. We can confirm that as well. But again, the governor emphasized again that that the the roommate is cooperating. What we've learned specifically is that this person did not have any knowledge, was shocked when they found out about it. When when he found out about it, the suspect, and again, the suspect has not been cooperating so far. Um, the governor says that uh Tyler Robinson comes from a conservative family, uh, but his ide ideology was very different than his family and that that is now part of the investigation. And the governor said, "It is very clear to us that the in the investigators that this person," talking about Tyler Robinson, uh was deeply indoctrinated, indoctrinated with leftist ideology. Um, and then he also said that there was a lot of gaming going on. And even when you read into some of the inscriptions on the gun, and if you look at one of my past episodes, I went through each one and what what based on my research I think they mean, some many of them do connect back to video games. Uh, and the governor said there was a lot of gaming going on. Friends have confirmed that there was a deep dark internet Reddit culture and other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep. You saw that on the casings. I didn't have any idea what those inscriptions meant, but they are certainly uh the memeification that is happening in our society today. Um so the governor also pointing back to social media um the fact that the uh shooter comes from a very very conservative family, but that he had leftist ideologies uh and that there was this gaming culture um that he was a part of. Also, he was apparently intelligent. The governor uh says that he got a 34 on the ACT, which is something that we had heard from family members yesterday. Had a full ride scholarship to a university, but didn't even last a semester, dropped out. Um and then the governor said he ended up doing something like this. We need to understand that and we need to figure out how to stop it. Uh which is a really really important point. Like how does this guy go from this family that all indications to us are that this is a nice family? I mean, I obviously don't know them, but we've had producers out there. We've we've been talking to family friends. Um, and you know, I mean, the dad obviously did the right thing when his son confessed to him, according to investigators, and they went to this other family friend who was a law enforcement veteran, apparently had been in law enforcement for 27 years, and then together they uh, you know, had him turn himself in or they went to police. Um, but the governor asks a good question. I mean, how does someone go from, you know, seems like a, you know, a nice upbringing to, uh, to this? Um, we spoke to one of the neighbors who lives right near the parents. This is in Washington, Utah, which is about three and a half hours from where I am, near Salt Lake City, way in the corner of Utah, southern corner, uh, not that far from Vegas. I think it's like an hour and 45 minutes from Vegas. Uh but we talked to one of the neighbors about um suspect and about the family. Listen to this. >> Oh, very hardworking, very um good parents. They their parenting was good. They both work. Um I've seen the dad home more than Amber, but you know, she has a good job and I know that they were really good parents and I know they taught their kids well and they were a very close-knit family. did everything together, you know, look forward to their trips. And this is this kind of neighborhood you want to raise your kids in cuz it's, you know, that's why I raised my kids here. I came from Southern California. This is where I wanted to do it. So, yeah. Shocked cuz I didn't see him as that kind of kid. And you Yeah. But that's what happens with social media and getting into that kind of stuff. I think three things have got to be involved. Not one, social media, you know, it it gets to our kids, you know, fills us with crap. And then, uh, I think friends, you know, who you hang around with, who you associate with. I'm sure some of his friends were good, you know, um, from what, you know, his roommate had said. And um I think mental health, you know, and I think a lot of the crap that comes off of social media has a lot to do with your mental health. In his mind, he probably thought it was the right thing at that time and that probably, you know, lots to do with, like I said, social out there and people. >> I also spoke with the Utah County Sheriff uh and the Utah County under sheriff. Utah County is of course where the assassination happened. It is where the suspect Tyler Robinson is now behind bars. He's been brought back here. He's in the the Utah County jail. Um, but I spoke with the sheriff and under sheriff actually as part of this News Nation special that we did and I'm going to play you that interview. Um, you know, they've been through a lot. They were the ones who their office was the one who responded out to the shooting initially. Um, also just kind of a side note, one of my friends was asking me like, did Charlie Kirk wear a bulletproof vest? And so I asked the sheriff that. um which isn't part of this interview about Typy, but he told me that Charlie Kirk was not wearing a bulletproof vest. Um and I'm not sure it would have mattered anyway since it seems like he was shot in the neck, but that is something that I confirmed that he he wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest. Um but I want you to hear my conversation with the with the sheriff and the under sheriff. >> People are so emotional, the crowd behind us. How's the community doing? I think the not just this community but the nation and and I think we're seeing um a lot of the world they hurt this this was a big blow and yeah this is a beautiful community and it's unfortunate it happened anywhere but of course we didn't want this in our community this this type of evil that entered our community under sheriff this morning the governor said um that this was a person who was deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology and we've heard so much about social media media and how young people get indoctrinated into these. It's almost like a cult. >> It is. Yeah. The social media is just it's just not good for the the young, I don't think. I'm probably old school, but uh you know, it it just really hurts them. Uh they get in these groups and Yeah. It's be kind of bad. >> And politically, I mean, we're so politically divided right now. >> We are. Yeah. And I Yeah. That's sad because we need to stand together, you know, and things are divided right now. I hope they can get better. >> Do you think, Sheriff, that this is a moment in America where things could get better? >> I think it could. I I think I think we have a choice in front of us. Um, we could get better or it could it could be a moment where we could get worse. I mean, I I truly hope we get better. uh that that I think that's the hope of most people, but I think there's an element of our society that isn't on board with that that they would like to to keep this going that the hate, the vitrial, it is just pouring in um over over someone's death, someone that you know was was exercising his first amendment rights. It's it's unbelievable. >> I mean, this is the scene of an assassination behind us that the whole world is paying attention to. Are are you concerned at all? I mean, have any more threats come in? Is there any concern here? There's always concern. Yeah. As as as feelings and emotions as they rise, we're watching everything. >> Your share of, you know, 33 hours it took. Sorry, there's a lot of people with American flags going by. It's really a beautiful sight. >> It really is. >> It's really cool to see. >> Um, but for that 33 hours when the manhunt was happening, I mean, the whole country was on edge. Take us behind the scenes a little bit. What was going on? I know there was a big operation center behind us. >> Non-stop work. Non-stop work. I'm so proud of of our sheriff's department uh and and just the all of our other brothers and sisters in law enforcement in this valley. Everybody just came together and and you know for 33 hours it was no sleep and go to work and and from hour one or minute one I mean it was so impressive. Uh, you know, probably in 15 minutes there's 300 cops here. Guys, gals leaving the gym in their gym clothes or with their families off duty. They jump in their vehicles and they get here and they they throw their battle gear on and go to work and and so we're we're pretty lucky here in Utah County that we can all work together and just get a job done. >> I want to ask you, Sheriff, if there was a tweet I can pull up that FBI Director Cash Patel put this out today. He said, "Against all law enforcement recommendations, we demanded the video footage and enhanced stills of the suspect be released to the public. Robinson's father, who of course is a suspect, who ultimately turned him into authorities, told law enforcement that he recognized his son, uh, in that release video. Um, I keep thinking about that father. I mean, um, you know, I don't know if you're a dad, but >> that that took a lot of courage. I think >> did took a tremendous I I would have to imagine for me that would be the worst day of my life um to to have to do that. The father absolutely did the right thing. >> Um but devastating. I mean this this action has changed the lives drastically of two families and uh yeah he I my hats off to the father to the mother for doing the right thing. Um had to be the hardest thing they've ever done in her life. Under sheriff, do you think we'll learn more soon about um what planning went into this? Because that's one thing that we still have so many questions about and it happened right in your county. I mean, how many times he came here? Did he, you know, scope out the roof? >> We'll we'll learn the the critical details as time goes on. We'll we'll be able to put that together, I'm sure. Uh but it's just going to take a little time. >> Most of those things are being mapped out. Um, for us it's it's getting this case to trial and having a a successful trial. So, a lot of those things, you know, as we go through this is getting that successful conviction. So, those things are all being handled in appropriate way. The uh our the teams are all over those issues. >> You you spoke about the the father also. We've we've learned that the roommate uh has been cooperating also. Do you know much about the roommate? >> I I don't know anything about the roommate. >> Do you, Sheriff? Or I >> I do, but that's not something I'm going to make comments on right now. >> I understand. Yeah. Well, well, thank you, Sheriff. I appreciate you very much. Thank you so much for for joining us. Again, I'm so sorry under sheriff sheriff, for everything that happened here, and we appreciate you coming on tonight. >> Absolutely. >> Something else that I reported early on, uh, is that the suspect, Tyler Robinson, according to my sources, was on the FBI radar in terms of this investigation. Yes, it was the dad seeing the photo or the video and recognizing his son that really got the ball rolling. But I am told, you know, they had a whole list of possible suspects and that um that he was on that list. Uh and one of the ways that they came up with that list, there's a couple of things that they were doing. First of all, they were going back and looking at license plates of everyone who had been on this campus or near this campus and running the tags and tracing people that way. but also they were using um facial recognition which is a new kind of technology uh that the FBI has um and that I am told one day could be just as important as DNA. I mean that's how big this this technology could become. And basically what they do is they if they have an image of someone like a surveillance image like in this case they can put it into this software this AI software and it will figure it will look over like billions of um images on the internet you know social media images and track who someone is and so they use that software I am told in this investigation and it's a software it's through a company called Clear View AI that's who the FBI uh contracts with and I spoke with the CEO of Clear View AI to better understand um that component of all of this. >> Thank you so much for joining me. You're the CEO of Clear View AI. Um I reported initially that uh through sources that they used facial recognition technology as part of this case that the shooter's dad did, you know, come forward with a confession. Uh but before that even the suspect was on the FBI's radar because of facial recognition technology. I don't know if there's any more that you can share with us about that. I know your company has been involved. Yeah, I I can't confirm the sequence of events, but but facial recognition was used. It's been widely reported that it was used. Uh it's public that Clear View AI has a facial recognition contract uh with the FBI. Uh we're the only open- source facial recognition company in the United States. Uh we're the best in the world, and uh it's it's known that we do have that contract. We also have contracts with other government agencies as well, but it's it's it's for this exact kind of thing. um it's used as a tool uh by investigators to you know uh try to move forward with uh evidence. So it's it's it's simply one of the tools that they're using. Uh Clear View AI uh we we have over 70 billion images. Uh those are uh publicly uh accessed. So no no private images of anybody. It's all public. Uh and uh it's it's been uh greatly helpful for law enforcement around the country um and quite frankly um in places like Ukraine as well. How does it work? >> Well, you take an image uh of of an individual u let's say in a case and if they have video or they have an image of someone, they can run it through the software uh and within seconds it retrieves any images that match uh the the the image that's in the that they're being looked at. So, uh it's it's it's an amazing software, amazing tool. Uh and and it's um you know, I was so um you know, fortunate that they were able to help. Uh, and I think, you know, I I wanted to express, you know, I' I've been very upset about this this whole thing, as many people around the world are. Uh, I've been friends with Charlie Kirk since 2015 when I first met him. He was an amazing person. Um, he was 21 years old. I thought he was 30 when I first met him. I mean, he was just so polished and so mature. Uh, and then I find out he's 21 years old, and I was like, "Wow." Uh, and then over the next decade, you know, he's done what he's done. It's just been an amazing thing. He's he's a unicorn. Um he's really irreplaceable. Uh it's it's just so tragic. Uh and for his wife and little kids to be there is just unimaginable. >> Yeah, it's terrible. Um it must be a a strange feeling for you having known him for so long and now knowing that your technology, you know, played some kind of part in all of this in the investigation. Yeah, it's it's it's um you know it doesn't it doesn't relieve the pain, but it's certainly um you know good to know that the technology I think was beneficial. They you know it's been reported that they used facial rec technology uh and I you know I'm certain that they did. So I I do feel uh you know some some satisfaction from that perspective but again the the pain of this is really uh really tough and um it's been tough for many people obviously um and and you know uh it's it's global you can see uh there their people in the UK right now he just come back from the UK recently uh he was just an amazing person and he really did uh go right into the fire. I I think people need to understand that how brave he was to do what he was doing. I mean, you know, death threats and things like that come with that. And yet, he would kept going and kept going. And to have this happen at such a young age is just um unbelievable. >> In terms of the technology, are these just photos that people post online? Like whether on social media, is that what it what it digs through? >> Correct. It it it's it it pulls the public images that people post um and and puts them in a database. And so that's um again all public. Uh we have over 70 billion images. Uh so the hit rate is extremely extremely high. Uh and the technology is you know 99.99% accurate. So you know it's um it's a very uh powerful tool uh for law enforcement. >> So if some if law enforcement like in this case has a surveillance photo or video, does it matter if it's photo or video? Does it >> it doesn't they can run a video through and it will pull the image out. So um photo or video will work. Something else I've really been trying to do while I've been out here um is just talk to people, which if you guys follow me, you know that I like to do. I mean, obviously I've been focused on the investigation, but I like getting to know locals and just kind of feeling out what this is like for them. I've talked to so many people out here um who were at the Charlie Kirk event, who saw the assassination. Um but I think one of the most meaningful conversations I've had in a long time was with a man named Elliot. Uh, and he was there, he was eight feet from Charlie Kirk when he got shot. He was there with his family. He was there with his wife and his baby. And he actually dove on top of his baby um to just out of instinct, I think, when he heard the first shot. Um, so I met him after the shooting, shortly after the shooting, and I met up with him again just because I found what he had to say about the experience and really just his thoughts about our country in general to be very insightful and interesting. Um, and uh, I wanted to play this conversation with you. >> So, Elliot, you were there um, with your baby. Yeah. When this happened. >> Yeah. >> What I mean, what do you remember? >> Well, I mean, as far as the moment that that happened with Charlie, like, it was probably one of the most extreme experiences I've ever had in my entire life. I mean, nobody can prepare you for something like that. I mean, I I showed up. The reason why I brought my family was because usually these are very safe environment for a family to come to. I've grown up around this university. So like for me being able to come here and witness a debate um you know I felt like that was a safe thing to do you know and so the experience that I had with with Charlie I remember vividly being about 8 to 10 feet from the stage because I genuinely wanted to ask him a question. All of a sudden, my wife tells me, "Hey, Elliot, come here." And our son's getting overheated. You need to figure out a way to take care of him and help me out real quick. So, I start trying to get my son all situated. And right as I'm doing that, I grab my son and I look over and somebody's talking about the transgender debate um with the guns and everything on that aspect. And then Charlie put his mic down on his lefthand side and said, "Uh, you talking about gun violence?" And then at right at that moment there was probably like I told like I said earlier there's about a 3se secondond pause and it went quiet in the whole area. Um and I thought that that was super eerie that right at that moment it was silent enough for us to hear the gunshot. Um and the gunshot uh sounded like a distance away man. And uh when it hit Charlie I Yeah. When it hit Charlie in his neck um you know that was a shock. I didn't realize what had happened. Um, you know, it took me a second to realize, but then I saw everything, you know, manifesting and taking its uh place and then Charlie went back on the left hand side when that happened. Um, that was when it was real. Like, oh my gosh, he actually just got shot. Um, and I remember like literally thinking about my wife and my kids in that moment. And you know, in that moment, like I said, you you have just a split second to react. Like what do I do? Do I just be the dad that freaks out and runs or do I take a second and pause and realize like, "Hey, I got to take care of my family." So, I remember my wife yelling, "Hey, grab the children." Um, and so I turned to my wife and and huck her down and grabbed my son and dove on top of them. Um, and then my father-in-law, like I was saying earlier, he's one of those country really strong men, you know, and uh the look in his face was was absolute terror because his whole ch all of his children were there. Um, so he told us, "Let's get the freak out of here." And started pushing behind me. He grabbed my uh nephew and I I'll tell you what, man. I've I've done some stupid stuff in my life and been a crazy guy sometimes and uh had some fun in my life, too. But that was probably the most scared I've ever been ever. Um I've never felt terror like that. I thought I was going to get shot in the back. Um and and I'm having trouble sleeping. Um, you know, because I shut my eyes and I can keep replaying that image in my my mind and that experience. And, you know, the utter sadness that I feel for Charlie and his wife and kids, you know, that wasn't just a political assassination. That was a murder of a husband and and a father. Um, this person, you know, had a message to share with people and he was silenced over his opinions. And to me, you know, that is not the country that I I want to be a part of. Um that right there tells me exactly where we're at um as a collective. Um you know, we're so extreme right or so extreme left that we're missing the core fundamental aspects of what's going on here, man. And and it's affected my family. It's affected Charlie's family. It's affected the Robinson family. Like those poor people, their son is, you know, getting charged with an assassination and they just lost a son. So, you know, there's no winners here uh at all. Um, and and that's kind of been my my story and experience and and stuff on that. Uh, but I'm I'm happy to be here with you guys and and talk about whatever it is you want to to hear from me and and discuss. So, um, I'm an open book, man. >> Do you think that this is a a turning point in America? I mean, because I've covered so many shootings lately. I was in Minneapolis when the Democrat makers were shot. I mean, there's been a lot of things lately, but do you think this is a wakeup call or do you think it's just going to keep happening? Well, I mean, if you look at the last what 20 years, I mean, when I was a kid in the 90s, I think the only school shooting that I ever heard of was Coline. You know, after that, you know, it's been a consistent thing to where we're actually normalizing it as a society. Like, teachers are getting trained to open carry and, you know, getting defensive tactic classes and children are learning how to duck and cover. you know, it's becoming a normal conversation in our society, but everybody wants to blame it on gun violence, and that's a smoke screen. You know, the the biggest the biggest thing that I keep talking about is we have a mental health crisis going on in our country. Um, and you know, if I tell my pen to write me a paragraph, it's not going to write me a paragraph. You know, a gun doesn't fire and operate unless somebody's operating behind it. So, for me, I know that's a controversial topic and and it's up for debate. And I freaking love America, man. Tell me I'm wrong. Like, prove me I'm wrong. That's what free speech is all about. Debate me. I love it. But, you know, as far as, you know, the the turning point for our country, my hope is that Charlie Kirk doesn't just become another statistic. You know, the the um um what was I going to say? The people that were in office that just barely got killed. I can't I'm so sorry. I can't remember um their names. um the husband and wife, you know, and then the school shootings with the children and all that kind of stuff. You know, our our country seems to shove things under the rug um after 3, four days, 5 days. Uh my hope is that that this is a turning point for our country where we actually start focusing on the core aspects of what's going on in our country, man. So, >> what do you think was going on with the shooter, >> man? Um for me, it's hard to assume what somebody's going through in that moment. Um, you know, but you know, as far as things that are getting ready to start, man, like that start coming out into the, you know, the media and everything when, you know, the more and stuff that they investigate and and have a conversation with them, you know, my my hope is that they're asking the kind of questions that are going to get down to the core, you know, and a mass shooting or a shooting or like let's say that somebody I'm not comparing this to that, but somebody who's obese and they eat too much food, some a drug addict taking drugs, you know, um, somebody who believes that they're in the wrong body. Like these are all surface level things that are going on inside of our country that are a deeper set issue as far as like the core belief systems that people are experiencing in our lives nowadays. I I grew up in a a society where we were taught as a man to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Big boys don't cry, you know, don't talk about this, you know, stuff on that level. And so, you know, you learn throughout time to like really not talk to people about what's going on with you. Um, and I think that that's kind of what we're starting to promote more and more in our culture is, you know, people are not feeling safe to like be able to actually have a conversation with somebody like me and you are like I welcome somebody to be able to sit down with me and say, "Hey man, I'm struggling. I'm going through this. These are my thoughts. This is how I'm feeling." you know, and that that's being shown as a sign of weakness. But that's probably one of the greatest things that in my religion, God has given me is the ability to fill. And I want to be able to be in a safe spot to where I can actually express that stuff. But people are not being shown that these days. And so they're bottling everything up. And then we're having these blowups across the country. >> Are you Mormon? >> I am Mormon. >> Yeah. I I I don't know much about I'm from >> No. No. No. Yeah. I'm definitely Mormon. >> Yeah. Okay. Most people are here, right? >> Yeah. preacher. >> So, like, and I'm I I didn't grow up with a lot of Mormons. I'm from Florida. Um, but everybody's like super nice. It's such a nice, you know, culture. But how is that community uh like taking this? >> Well, like I was telling you, you know, the the >> How do they process it? >> Yeah. The Well, the Robinson family, they're uh active members of our our church, man. And and that's for me, I look at him as a brother and sister of mine that, you know, share my same values and my same belief systems. you know, I can't even imagine how difficult that was for a father to have to make the decision to go and uh, you know, turn a son in. And now they're watching their son basically going up for trial for whatever the jury and these guys decide to do, you know. And and for me, uh, all it made me realize um, as a community is we need more more I don't I don't want to say pe just just spirituality, you know, people taking the time. I don't want to say religion because that has such a negative connotation right now in our country. People just when they hear politics and religion, it's just they're just going nuts over it. So, the best word I want to use is finding your own personal spirituality. Um, that's what it's doing for me. Um, I want to see people being willing to do more self- introspection, more meditations, more personal development, challenging their thinking, challenging their thought processes, you know, reaching out to people, trying to find self-help, stuff like that. So um you know I'm I'm a firm believer that that has a ripple effect into all aspects of life. Um whether you are Buddhist or Muslim or Christian or whatever it is that you believe in. You know being able to have a foundation into continually doing personal development. Uh I think that's a lost art that's uh taking place in our country. Everybody's uh taking this victim mentality role man. And you know, I want to see our country be accountable again. You know, if Donald Trump could change his slogan to one thing, it would be make America accountable again. You know, I can't help the people, places, and things that come into my life. But how I choose to react to those is the only thing that I can control. And so, I'm can I'm I could use this situation as being some freaking victim and say, "Poor me." You know, oh my gosh, look at my family. Look what happened. But I'm accountable for my feelings, my thoughts, all of that kind of stuff. So, you know, I don't want to look at it on that aspect. And I look at Mrs. Kirk. She's hands down one of the strongest women. She could be the biggest victim of them all. But she gets up last night and she's like, "My story doesn't stop here with my husband. I'm ready to keep going." And I'm like, "Dude, I'm ready to go with you." You know, you've got an army behind you of Americans that want to see changes like this happen. So, >> yeah. I don't know. >> Well, thank you, Elliot. >> Yeah, man. It's nice to meet you, too. Sorry for everything you had to go through. Thank you. >> Nice to meet you, buddy. And that's really the latest from the scene here. I'll keep you guys updated. I'm sure more will come out later. Of course, Tyler Robinson's first court appearance is on Tuesday. That's when we expect charges to be formally filed. Of course, there's a murder charge. The governor has said multiple times that they plan to seek the death penalty. Um, firing squad. They have in Utah. Um, so, uh, more will come out this week and I'll keep you guys posted with the latest. All right, thanks so much for watching.
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