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On Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, announced authorities have a suspect in custody for the murder of far-right activist Charlie Kirk. Cox identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the 

 at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

According to Cox, a family friend told investigators that Robinson had "become more political in recent years," and had recently expressed a dislike for Charlie Kirk. Beyond that, there are still 

Still, in the long hours before his apprehension, speculation about the killer's identity and motivations filled the void. President Donald Trump 

blamed the "radical left" in the immediate aftermath

 of the shooting. But, as NPR domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro explain, 

Instead, the data show an increase in political violence committed by people who have been influenced by a mix of different extremist ideologies. There have also been instances where people are committing violence just for the sake of violence.

Still, at a time of heightened partisanship, division and vitriol in the country, these acts of violence have frequently led to people projecting their own political beliefs onto the situation. 

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Domenico Montanaro

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Odette Yousef

Before his apprehension, speculation about the identity and motivations of Charlie Kirk's killer filled the void. A increasingly familiar pattern of political violence is taking shape in America.

Political violence is on the rise in America. What's driving it?

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