“That really hurt! Who throws a shoe? Honestly!” — Mike Myers in “Austin Powers”

Throughout college football history, there have been countless examples of teams snatching defeat from the jaws of victory due to some emotional decision. Regret is sewn into the fabric of the sport. But few shenanigans have felt so utterly bizarre, inherently funny and impactful as Marco Wilson’s toss of an LSU player’s shoe in the fourth quarter of a rivalry game on Dec. 12, 2020.

The throw, which came in a tie game against a heavy underdog, certainly cost Florida a win. It might, too, have kept the Gators from the College Football Playoff. And the play proved a turning point in the history of a once-proud Florida program that spent much of the next five years adrift in a sea of mediocrity.

It was a moment that, five years later, still begs the same question: Who throws a shoe?

ESPN spoke with more than a dozen players, coaches and broadcasters from the 2020 showdown between the Gators and Tigers to find the real story.

Marco Wilson, Florida defensive back: I’ve been through harder times. Way harder than what I went through with that shoe. That shoe was just broadcast around the internet.

Derek Ponamsky, special assistant to LSU coach Ed Orgeron: How do you throw the frickin’ shoe?

Sean McDonough, ESPN broadcaster: None of us had seen it before, none of us have seen it since, and I doubt we ever will again.

T.J. Slaton Jr., Florida defensive lineman: Bad or good, it doesn’t matter. It’s memorable.

It was 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rigors of the season had already taken their toll on many players and coaches.

Wilson: It was a lot of stress that year — the COVID stuff. Your schedule’s changing. I’m stressing about trying to make it to the NFL. That was my main goal. I wasn’t playing the best through that year. It was, “Man, am I going to get drafted?”

Ponamsky: One of the most intimidating places to play in all of college football is The Swamp, and usually there’s 3,000 people directly behind your bench leaning over the railing. But because it was a COVID game, there was nobody there.

Brad Johnson, former FSU QB and father of Max Johnson: They had those cardboard pictures cut out instead.

Jack Marucci, LSU director of athletic training: We almost didn’t have enough scholarship players to play, because we’d contact traced so many players. We were playing walk-ons, freshmen that weren’t supposed to play. They were all out there.

Florida entered the game ranked sixth nationally, a spot in the SEC title game already secured and a berth in the College Football Playoff still up for grabs. LSU was just a year removed from a national championship, but this had been a disastrous season of injuries and opt-outs.

Cade York, LSU kicker: We were just getting beaten down that season. First game after that championship you get beat by Mississippi State throwing 500 yards of Air Raid on you, and it’s like, “What the heck?”

McDonough: LSU was a mess. They were a 23-point underdog.

Max Johnson, freshman LSU QB making his first start vs. Florida: We had to show some fight and belief in each other, because you weren’t getting praise from anybody else. It did feel like us vs. the world.

Ponamsky: Our young guys showed confidence and composure, and that team on the other sideline, they didn’t. It felt like they treated us like a nonconference homecoming.

Wilson: We had our eyes on the SEC championship. Their record wasn’t the best, but we still needed to take it seriously and lock in. That’s a rivalry game. I don’t care if their record was 0-10. It don’t matter. They’re the LSU Tigers and they don’t like the Florida Gators. You’ve got to know what they’re coming with.

Louis Bourgeois, LSU equipment manager: When we play Alabama — people look at that as a rivalry, but that’s two teams that respect each other well enough and line up and play football and get after each other. Florida is the most trash-talking I’ve ever been a part of year after year.

Lee McGriff, Florida radio analyst: I don’t call it respectful. You play Alabama and Auburn and Georgia, there’s some dignity. LSU’s a little rogue.

Scott Stricklin, Florida athletic director: [Florida coach] Dan Mullen was not really excited about playing the game, because we were banged up, too. [Tight end] Kyle Pitts probably could’ve played, but we held him out to make sure he was rested for the championship game.

Kyle Pitts, Florida tight end: I was concussed. It would’ve been a little on the riskier side to play that game. Whether we won or lost, we thought it was better to prepare for Alabama in the following week. You get one brain.

Without Pitts, Heisman candidate Kyle Trask struggled early, and Florida endured a string of unlikely miscues to fall behind 24-17 at the half.

Stricklin: Everyone talks about Marco and the shoe. There were so many opportunities for us to take care of business and random stuff would happen. We kicked a field goal inside their 10, made the kick, there was a penalty on them that gave us a fourth-and-goal from the 1. We took the points off the board and went for it and got stopped. There were some random interceptions that Kyle Trask doesn’t normally throw. Just random you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me moments.

Ponamsky: There’s an interception where Dwight McGlothern and Jay Ward tip it around, and it’s one of the craziest plays you’ve ever seen.

Jay Ward, LSU defensive back: [The Florida receiver] hit the ball. I tried to dive and hit it. I went out of bounds, but I reestablished myself. And [McGlothern] tipped it back in off his helmet.

This Jay Ward INT is absolutely wild. #LSU with their second pick of Trask. pic.twitter.com/d4X8QDdf6G

— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) December 13, 2020

York: The whole game we kept having big plays that kept us in it. I think it was kind of pissing Florida off.

Wilson: I told Eli Ricks he played a whole part into why I threw that shoe. He made a pick-six in that game, and he made a hell of a play, but on the way to the end zone, he taunted our quarterback. He turned and walked slow and looked back at him. I lost it on the sideline. That’s the moment I lost it. I turned to my teammates, like, “We’re not doing this, bro. It’s my last game in The Swamp, and look at what they’re out here doing. We’re not going out like that.” I was just seeing red from that point on.

Florida took a 31-27 lead entering the fourth quarter, but before chaos ensued, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium had to set the stage.

Ponamsky: The first time we go [to Florida] with Coach O as the head coach was in 2017, and it was their first game right after Tom Petty passed away. Coach O loves Tom Petty, and one of his favorite songs is “I Won’t Back Down.” In the fourth quarter, they start playing it. “Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out.”

Marucci: We talked about it a lot. The whole stadium was singing. It’s a neat experience.

Ponamsky: Coach O told the team [before the 2020 game], game’s going to be won in the fourth quarter. They’re going to start the fourth quarter playing Tom Petty. “Hey baby, there ain’t no easy way out.” And when they started playing it that night, he looks over at Jack Marucci and says, “Jackie, we ain’t backing down.”

York: They played their song, their Swamp song, and just as the music starts, this thick layer of fog rolls in.

Bourgeois: It was a struggle to even see the other sideline.

Josh Hoffman, ESPN producer: It really made it so any camera above field level saw only fog.

Todd McShay, ESPN sideline reporter: The fog comes in, and Sean and Todd [Blackledge] are having trouble seeing, so I kind of became a pseudo weather man reporter down on the field. It was this fishbowl of fog and this eerie feeling, and the fog kept building.

McGriff: Trask was so good that season, and eventually he got it under control [vs. LSU]. I felt confident we were coming back. And so here’s the drive, and we make the stop. I just thought, “Here we go. Trask and the offense are going to go win the game.” And then it happens. Marco Wilson.

With the score tied at 34 with 1:51 to play, LSU faced a do-or-die third-and-10 from its own 29. Johnson dropped back to pass, surveyed the field and found his roommate, freshman tight end Kole Taylor.

Max Johnson: People think without the shoe we wouldn’t have won. It was still 34-34. Don’t get me wrong, it changed the game. But gosh, that play — we called it “Hank.” It was a curl flat with a hook in the middle of the field.

Brad Johnson: No one was open. Max dropped it off to Kole Taylor in the flat, and he got tackled short of the first down.

Max Johnson: Looking back, I could’ve thrown the curl backside to Kayshon Boutte. Do I regret what happened? No. But process-wise, I should’ve thrown the curl.

Wilson: We were in a Cover 2. I’m covering the flat. Tight end got the ball right to the flat. Soon as I saw it, I go. He tried to hurdle me, and that’s when I grabbed his legs. As he went down, his shoe slipped off.

Kole Taylor, LSU tight end: We were just trying to get to the sticks on third-and-long, not a typical dump-down scenario, but he ended up dumping it down to the flat. I tried to make a little play and tried to go over [Wilson] and realized there was too many people coming. I kept it low. I didn’t even realize what had happened until I got up.

Stricklin: I’m on the sideline, but you can’t see great. And after the stop, I remember seeing a flash of color go hurtling across the field. And I was like, “What was that?”

Marucci: The shoe actually came right at us. You could see it. We were yelling, “He threw the freakin’ shoe!”

Hoffman: [McShay] hit his talk-back to me and said, “He threw his shoe, he threw his shoe!”

McShay: I said there was a shoe flying in the air, and they’re like, “What are you talking about?” All I saw was an arm from a player go up, and this cleat is traveling 15, 20 yards in the air.

Marucci: We didn’t spat (tape shoes) much back then. The next year, [Taylor] got spatted. If he did that, this would’ve never happened. I wasn’t big into spatting unless they needed it for injuries. He had a low-top shoe that got ripped off.

Wilson: Some fans think I went and grabbed the shoe off the ground. That would be stupid. I’d have told myself that was stupid to go find the shoe, grab it and then throw it. No, I made the tackle, and as soon as he’s on the ground, I look, I see the sticks, we’re off the field, I’m excited, and — boom. I’ve got a purple and gold shoe in my hand. I’m hype. Like, “Get off our field.”

Slaton: He realized he had a f—ing shoe in his hand and is like, “Get this shoe out of here.” What if he’d had the ball and did that? He was just hyped.

Taylor: I stood up and put my foot on the ground, and it was cold. I was like, “That’s weird.” I looked down and didn’t have a shoe. And then within a half a second, one of our equipment managers is running up to me like, “I’ve got your shoe.” And I’m like, “Where was it?”

Bourgeois: You never run onto the field, but everybody was celebrating, so I ran out and grabbed the shoe, and I’m like, “Kole, you have to put this back on. We still have football to play.” I threw it at him, and I ran back off the field. In the fog, nobody’s going to see that.

York: Everyone turned away and was like, “Ah crap.” I remember our punter getting ready to go out, and I saw the ref reach into his back pocket and was like, “No way.”

Referee James Carter initially flagged the wrong player — Florida linebacker Mohamoud Diabate — but the more memorable part of his announcement to the crowd was the specificity: “Unsportsmanlike conduct. … Throwing the LSU player’s shoe 20 yards down the field.”

Brad Johnson: You’re wondering what is the flag? You thought like, “Is somebody giving him the business?” And then they say he threw the shoe 20 yards down the field. That’s what he said! No one’s ever seen a shoe thrown in a game. You’ve had late hits, throwing the helmet, gouging guys’ eyes out. You have stuff — but never a thrown shoe.

Marucci: Those shoes are light. [Taylor] was more of a receiver than a true tight end, so they wear those lighter shoes — and that thing comes flying in the air. It really was 20 yards.

McDonough: If he threw it 12 yards, is it still a penalty?

Wilson: He said the wrong number, too. My homie Mohamoud — he gave his number, 11.

McShay: I looked over at the sideline and I’m like, “No, they’re yelling at Marco Wilson,” and he’s got his head down, dejected.

Wilson: Honestly, I regretted it right after I did it. You’ll see, my arms are, like, oh, I messed up. I immediately knew I was in the wrong.

McGriff: It was the right call. I know everybody’s tried to rationalize it, but it was the right call, and it was a back-breaking moment.

Taylor: Once-in-a-lifetime scenario. Looking back, I don’t know if it’s funny. It’s not funny to a lot of people, but looking back I can laugh about it.

Wilson’s blunder is what’s remembered, but the score was still tied after the penalty. The flag gave LSU a new set of downs, and a Johnson scramble and a Chris Curry run got the ball into Gators territory. Then the drive stalled again, and LSU turned to York to attempt a 57-yard field goal for the lead.

York: I could not see the uprights past the crossbar. It was just the bottom of the uprights. It wasn’t bad until they started flashing the LED lights. They’d fill up the fog — the water molecules or whatever the science is on that. It was blinding.

Taylor: Kicking it in the fog, he did a great job.

York: They iced me, which made no sense, because honestly, [LSU coaches] called the field goal team out too late and it was kind of rushed. The line wasn’t getting set. And they had me on the left hash.I don’t know what happened when they respotted it [after the timeout], but they put it left-middle of the field.

Max Johnson: I don’t even think I watched it. I put my head down and was like, “OK. If you make it, you make it, and if not, I’m ready to go.”

York: Right off the foot I knew it was in. Everyone else was turning and watching and probably trying to find the ball in the fog. But seeing it off my foot and the feeling it has, it was so good.

Bourgeois: I couldn’t even see if the field goal was good or not. Usually you can tell by the crowd reaction, but you couldn’t see them either. And there was nobody in there to even listen to.

York: I just took off on a dead sprint to the end of our sideline doing the Gator chomp. I look back at it, and it 100% should’ve been a penalty. It 100% was taunting. It wasn’t like the game was over and it was a walk-off.

Brad Johnson: It’s 37-34 with 23 seconds to go, and it’s like, “OK we’ve got this.”

Max Johnson: I thought the game was over then. I see [offensive lineman] Austin Deculus running down the field. He’s going crazy. Then I realize there’s still time. We have to kick off and stop them. They make the throw to Kadarius Toney and he makes, like, six guys miss and get down the field. They go to Evan McPherson, and this guy’s a baller.

York made his kick, but after Florida drove 42 yards on four plays, McPherson had a chance to tie it with a kick from 51 yards out.

Stricklin: Evan’s a real dude. He’s made kicks to go to the Super Bowl. He’s as good a college kicker as I’ve ever been around, and he missed one.

Evan McPherson, Florida kicker: I hit it perfect. I started celebrating, low-key. Trotting, side-stepping toward our sideline.

Brad Johnson: You cannot see the kick, because of the fog, so you’re waiting for the announcement to be made, because you can’t even see the signal of the referee.

McShay: Florida’s sideline initially thought it was good. Some of their players were starting to cheer. And I’m like, “No he missed the kick.” The whole thing was just chaos.

McPherson: I’m watching it and it keeps drawing and keeps drawing, and I’m like, “Why’s it doing that?” And then right at the last second, it sneaks outside the upright. If I didn’t look up, I’d have thought I made it. I was shocked.

LSU won the game 37-34 in one of the most stunning upsets of 2020. For a team that had endured so many setbacks, it was a moment of ecstasy.

Ponamsky: I remember vividly [DBs coach] Bill Busch getting off of the golf cart on the field and screaming, “How you like that? How you like that?” I’ll never forget that as long as I live, because nobody thought we had a chance. We were being fed to the lions. But that team was motivated and prepared.

Marucci: I was at Florida State when Bobby Bowden was at his peak. I’ve seen a lot of good teams and four national championships, but that game there — it was up there, man. It was just electric. We had no business going down there and winning. It was like winning a championship.

Ward: We went crazy in the locker room. Everybody was turnt.

Taylor: We get in there and one of our O-linemen yells out, “Kole’s shoe won us the game,” and we start celebrating. It was awesome.

Max Johnson: Oh my gosh, that was when “The Griddy” was big, so we were all hitting “The Griddy,” playing the songs. It was awesome. I went into my press conference, and I was so bad, so serious. I didn’t show any emotion, my actual excitement and joy. I wish people could’ve seen more emotion from me at that moment.

York: My dad was at some sports bar in Frisco, Texas, watching the game. I get outside the stadium and I get a call, and he’s like, “Hey someone wants to talk to you.” This guy says his name, and I have no idea who it is. He’s like, “I was watching you kick. It’s so cool. I’m here with your dad.” OK, whatever. He gives the phone back to my dad, and I’m like, “Why are you having me talk to random people?” And he says, “Do you know who that was?” I had no clue. He’s like, “That was the Wu-Tang Clan.” They were randomly watching the game with him.

In Florida’s locker room, the scene was far different.

Wilson: I knew right when we didn’t make the tying field goal, I was like, “This is mostly on me.” It’s never 100% on me. It’s a team sport. But I was like, “Damn, I played a big part in this loss, and I’ve got to take accountability for that.”

McDonough: It wasn’t just bizarre, it was game-changing for sure. And it’s too bad because that’s what I remember him for. He was a very good player. He still is a very good player. But whenever his name comes up, that’s still the first thing I remember.

Pitts: We still had to go play the next week. If we’d won, it would’ve been a totally different story, and everyone would’ve forgotten that.

Wilson: I don’t think people understand what that’s like. I’m going through my phone, and it’s bugging out from how many messages I’m getting. There’s not a lot of people who’ve been through stuff like that. And every message I’m getting is negative.

Slaton: You can’t blame one thing. There have been crazier things happen [in a game] and people still win.

McGriff: I certainly understand when there’s emotion and all of that flowing that sometimes guys, since the beginning of time, can temporarily lose their mind. So Marco makes a play, and he loses his mind, and I have to admit, I’ve never seen anybody take a guy’s shoe off and throw it.

Stricklin: I knew that wasn’t what cost us the game. It contributed. But there were a lot of things. And I felt bad he was catching the brunt of all of it. I always thought he was a guy who represented us in a good way.

Wilson: If you look at social media, everyone was like, “I’d kick this guy’s ass in the locker room.” But as soon as I got to the locker room, my teammates, they understood what I was going through. I’m getting yelled at on the sideline by some of the fans. I had some teammates telling them to chill. People were pulling up to my house the next day to make sure I’m cool. I felt a lot of love. Dan Mullen, right after the game, he spoke to me, and he wasn’t drilling me or tearing me down and making me feel worse. That’s what I really needed at the time. My whole family was at that game, including my grandma. Everyone surrounded me and helped me get through these emotions. If I was by myself, it would’ve been a lot harder to go through.

Wilson’s blunder had a clear effect on the game’s outcome, but what’s more controversial is the theory that the game spawned Florida’s immediate downfall. From the start of 2015 through the prior week’s action, Florida had won 42 of its past 59 games. In the 56 contests since, including the shoe throw, the Gators are 26-30. (Note: Mullen, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and LSU coach Ed Orgeron declined interview requests for this story.)

McPherson: It was a big game for us at the time. If we win that one, we finish the year out right and, win or lose against Bama in the championship, we could sneak in [to the playoff]. Instead we ended up in the Cotton Bowl, and everybody opted out, and we got smoked.

McDonough: There was already a buzz the end of the Coach O era might be coming, but you certainly didn’t at the time think it was the beginning of the end for Dan Mullen.

McGriff: There were times where you could see a lack of discipline and then after that — to me, the crowning blow was the Cotton Bowl. I didn’t understand Coach Mullen’s approach to that game, his schemes, what he was trying to do. He’s really good at that — but not that day.

Slaton: People talk about how we went 0-3 after that and didn’t get into the playoff. They went with Ohio State instead of us even though Ohio State only played like five games. They made the call, they said, “Ohio State,” and they slept well that night. I didn’t.

Stricklin: We weren’t as successful after that. Usually people look at the symptoms and not the issues. What happened with Marco was a symptom of other things. There was a bit of looseness that year from being accountable and the discipline piece that had not been there in the past. And once you let that slip, it’s hard to get back. And I think a lot of it had to do with the COVID environment where everybody was just like, “Let’s get to the game.” It snowballed on us, to be honest, beyond that year. That game kind of triggered it. You can put a pin on that date.

Wilson: They try to blame the whole downfall on me. Honestly, it wasn’t going how it should have been going for the Gators for a while, even before me. Florida was always defense, and after [Will] Muschamp, that started going down. They lost that Gator tradition.

The enduring image from LSU 37, Florida 34 is Wilson’s shoe throw, which was immortalized in internet memes almost instantly, but the story has lived on — even reaching the locker room of the Cincinnati Bengals, where for a few months this offseason, Wilson and Taylor were teammates, alongside Slaton and McPherson, too.

Wilson: The President Bush [meme] is usually the funniest. I like that one. I see the “Austin Powers” one all the time, but it’s not as funny. It’s too obvious.

Taylor: For about a year or two, I got, “You’re the shoe guy.” That was interesting. I didn’t love being called the shoe guy. It would’ve been better to be LSU tight end.

Wilson: I laugh even when someone comes up to me on the street and says something or on Twitter. If it’s a funny joke, I’ll respond to it. But if you come at me saying, “Oh you suck and we hate you for what you did,” it’s like, get over it, bro. But if you want to joke about it, cool.

Taylor: I actually didn’t realize until a couple weeks in [to camp] it was actually a thing. I saw the name Marco, and I recognized the name, and I was like, “Oh my gosh he’s on the team with us.”

Slaton: I was like, “Marco threw your shoe?” And he says, “Yeah that was me.”

Taylor: It’s not something I want to bring up to [Wilson.] I’ll let him approach me about it.

Wilson: I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to buy that cleat.

Taylor: I don’t have them. I don’t know where they are. I got into the locker room [after the win], and they immediately took my shoes.

Bourgeois: It’s not normal for us to take [shoes], but we grabbed it [after the game] and took it over to the win trunk. There’s a “win bar” everybody touches on their way to the field, just like at Tiger Stadium. We bring a little version of that on the road with us. We brought it by the win bar to take a picture, and then it’s like, “Ah we’ll keep this.” We haven’t touched them. It’s still got the blue paint all over them and the grass on the bottom. They’re still in the moment.

If the shoes remain stuck in time, Wilson has moved on. He has had a successful NFL career, and he has used his moment of infamy to fuel his journey as a pro. But the lesson of that game — that, in football, anything can happen — is one that’s stuck with nearly everyone involved.

McShay: I did 150, 200 games, and not one single game was as memorable as that one.

Wilson: You realize who’s got your back and who really doesn’t like you either, who’ll talk crap about you in the group chats.

Stricklin: Marco was a really good football player for the Gators, and it’s a shame that’s what comes to mind when you think of him, because he was a part of a lot of success here.

Max Johnson: I didn’t realize at the time how big it would be for college football. I was so ready to play that I didn’t even think twice about the shoe.

Taylor: It was an interesting way to go viral. It’s something I’ll tell my kids and my grandkids.

Wilson: People who aren’t in that situation may feel like it’s the end of the world, but you’re going to face adversity no matter what you do, and it was good for me to face adversity when I was 21 or 22 years old. I was immature, and it’s a crazy amount of feelings you go through. It’s good to see you can go through some serious situations and still get to the other side and see the better side of it. It was a knucklehead move at the time, but I’ll always stand up and say it was passion. I was a passionate person then, and I’m a passionate person now. That wouldn’t happen now, but you’ll always see that type of energy from me on the field because I love the game.

The suspect in the shooting of Charlie Kirk is in police custody after a two-day manhunt.

The right-wing influencer, 31, was fatally shot on Wednesday afternoon while speaking at an event on Utah Valley University campus in Orem.

Police began searching for the shooter on the campus, before eventually extending the manhunt to nearby neighbourhoods.

The suspect has been named as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old man from Utah, and the governor’s office has released a photo of him in custody.

US president Donald Trump told Fox News the suspect was in custody on Friday, adding “somebody that was very close to him turned him in”.

Officials have now revealed further details about the suspect, including what a family member said about him and messages he sent a friend about his alleged plot.

Here’s what we know about the suspect so far:

How was the suspect caught?

Mr Trump told Fox News that a person “very close” with the suspect went to “the father”, who then went to a US Marshal.

“The father convinced the son,” he said, adding that they then “drove into the police headquarters, and he’s there now”.

He added that he may need to be corrected and that he was “talking based on what I’m hearing”.

In a news conference later, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said a member of Robinson’s family reached out to a family friend, who then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson “had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident”.

NBC news reports that the family member is his father – and that the father then went to a church minister he knew, who contacted a local sheriff.

He said the family member told the FBI that Robinson “had become more political in recent years” and that, at a dinner prior to the shooting, he had mentioned Mr Kirk’s upcoming visit to Utah Valley University.

Mr Cox said they had “talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had” and that “the family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate”.

He went on to say that messages between Tyler Robinson and his roommate revealed details about the alleged plot.

“The content of these messages included messages affiliated with the contact ‘Tyler’ stating a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel,” he said.

Latest updates as suspect named

Mr Cox added that there was no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved, but that the investigation was ongoing.

He said the suspect was taken into custody in Washington County, in southern Utah, around a three to four hour drive from Orem, where his family lived.

Pictures and footage released by the FBI

Mr Cox also said that the suspect changed clothes on campus.

He said footage “first spotted” him with one outfit on, which he allegedly changed while on the roof of one building.

Mr Cox said he then “changed back into that clothing at some point” – meaning the first outfit.

All this meant, the governor said, that when he was arrested, the suspect was wearing the same clothes he had on before the shooting.

Earlier, Mr Trump had said the suspect was “28 or 29”, but caveated that his facts were “subject to be corrected” and “based on what I’m hearing”.

Before news of his capture came in, the FBI had released images of a “person of interest” in the shooting, later revealed to be Robinson, showing him wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a backpack.

They also released video footage of him fleeing after the incident, where he could be seen walking on the roof of the building from where the fatal shot was fired.

He was then seen climbing down and heading toward a wooded area, where police say he abandoned his rifle.

The first description of the suspect came from a police officer on her radio shortly after the shooting, who said he was “wearing jeans, black shirt, black mask, long rifle”.

Beau Mason, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, later said he “appears to be of college age” and that he “blended in well with a college institution”.

What else do we know about Robinson?

Sky News have now verified what appear to be school records posted in 2020 by his mother which show a 4.0 average – a very high score, akin to straight As in the UK.

“This boy is a genius,” she added.

Robinson expected to be charged with aggravated murder

The suspect is expected to be charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The offences are all state charges.

Mr Cox said that under Utah law, they have three days to file charging documents, and that it should come “early next week.”

Utah officials previously said they were going to seek the death penalty for Charlie Kirk’s suspected shooter.

What weapon did the shooter use?

The weapon was found after the shooting in a wooded area where the shooter had fled, according to FBI agent Robert Bohls.

He described the gun as a “high-powered bolt action rifle”.

Read more:
What we know about the killing – through maps and videos
Who was Charlie Kirk? The MAGA influencer ‘admired’ by Trump

Investigators collected a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis.

Firearms consultant David Dyson told Sky News that, based on the range from where they are believed to have fired, the gunman would likely need to be a somewhat skilled target shooter.

But he suggested that while the shot may be difficult for anyone without experience, it’s “not a great range” for someone with practice.

Today’s Green Deals is packed with power station deals, alongside some EVs, tools, and security devices too. Headlining our end-of-the-week edition is Jackery’s new HomePower 3600 Plus Portable Power Station, which is getting up to $2,300 in early-bird member-only discounts, starting from $1699. We also spotted EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra with an expansion battery (12.2kWh) hitting a new $5,604 low, as well as Anker’s SOLIX Fan Fest four-unit weekend flash sale, which has returned the F3000 Portable Power Station to its $1,599 Prime Day low, among others. From there, we have EcoFlow’s parallel Outdoor Sale, an exclusive deal on Anker’s newest solar-powered security cameras, Hiboy’s Fall EV Sale, a Worx backpack blower, and more waiting for you below. Plus, there are all the hangover deals collected at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s exclusive Bluetti Apex 300 station and bundle deals, the Lectric Endless Summer e-bike Sale, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Get up to $2,300 in early-bird savings on Jackery’s new HomePower 3600 Plus LiFePO4 power station starting from $1,699

Jackery has just launched its early-bird member-only discounts (free to sign up) on its new HomePower 3600 Plus Portable Power Station starting from $1,699 shipped that will run through September 21, along with some bundle options, as well (more on those below). This new unit follows right behind the recent launch of the HomePower 3000 station, carrying a slightly higher full price of $2,799, and also coming in $100 higher at Amazon. This is the first chance at savings ahead of the new backup solution officially releasing, with it getting $1,100 here that sets the bar for future discounts down the road.

It’s quite a surprise to see Jackery releasing this new HomePower 3600 Plus unit not long after its HomePower 3000 model’s release, though it makes sense as this new descendant fills the gap between the 3000 and the brand’s Explorer 5000 Plus home backup unit. It starts with a 3,584Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that can expand as high as 21kWh with additional equipment. It provides up to 3,600W of steady output and surges up to 7,200W for hungrier devices/appliances, complete with 10 port options that include five AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and a car port.

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As the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is a bolstered descendant to the HomePower 3000, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that it brings much of the same charging capabilities to the table, with plugging into a standard outlet having it back to a full battery in 2.5 hours, while also offering options for dual AC and DC charging, gas generator bypass charging, a maximum 1,000W solar input, and a car port to charge as you drive.

Jackery’s early-bird HomePower 3600 Plus member deals:

• Battery Pack 3600: $1,499 (Reg. $2,099) | matched at Amazon
• HomePower 3600 Plus (3,584Wh) station: $1,699 (Reg. $2,799) | $100 more at Amazon
• HomePower 3600 Plus (3,584Wh) with 500W panel: $2,199 (Reg. $3,499)
• Two HomePower 3600 Plus stations: $3,499 (Reg. $5,799)
• HomePower 3600 Plus (7,168Wh) with extra battery and 500W panel: $3,699 (Reg. $5,899)

Jackery’s Amazon-only HomePower 3600 Plus deals:

You can now save $3,195 on EcoFlow’s expanded DELTA Pro Ultra 12.2kWh bundle at a new $5,604 low

Over at Wellbots, we just spotted an amazing opportunity for anyone wanting to go big with their home backup support, with EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Ultra Power Station bundled with one expansion battery at $5,604.05 shipped, which appears after an automatic 5% discount is applied in your cart, and currently beats Amazon’s pricing by $894. While it carries a $9,397 MSRP directly from the brand (currently $6798), at Wellbots, however, it starts off at a lower $8,799 full price. The discounts we’ve seen up until today have only ever dropped costs on this package as low as $6,299, which we last saw during July’s Prime Day event. The deal here gives you more savings than ever as $3,195 is cut from the tag (not to mention it’s $3,793 off its MSRP), landing it at a new all-time low price.

If you want to learn more about this power station’s capabilities, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Anker’s SOLIX Fan Fest weekend flash sale drops new F3000 power station back to $1,599 Prime Day low

As part of its ongoing SOLIX Fan Fest Sale running through September 21, Anker has launched a weekend flash sale that is bringing the costs down on four different units. Among them, we spotted Anker’s new SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station with a FREE 120V generator input adapter dropping down to $1,599 shipped, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $51, and sadly, the extra 5% savings code isn’t valid for these deals. It was already brought down from its $2,599 full price to $1,649 in the sale, with the flash savings here returning it to this rate for the first time since it appeared during July’s Prime Day event. You’re looking at the second-ever chance to pick it up at the best price we have tracked – plus, you’re getting the free adapter cable that is valued at $99 normally, which only sweetens the pot.

If you want to learn more about this power station’s capabilities, as well as the three other offers, be sure to check out our original coverage of this flash sale here.

EcoFlow’s parallel Outdoor Sale gears you up for adventures in nature with up to 62% discounts starting from $90

Running alongside its Home Backup/Hurricane Preparedness Sale, EcoFlow also has a separate Outdoor Sale running through September 14 with up to 62% discounts on power stations, power banks, and bundles tailored for adventures in nature, complete with bonus savings. Among the lineup, we spotted EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 Max Portable Power Station bundled with an 800W alternator charger at $1,139.05 shipped, after using the code 25EFDCAFF at checkout for a bonus 5% off, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $760. This bundle fetches $2,498 at full price direct from the brand, though it can usually be found for $1,899 at Amazon. Discounts over the year have dropped costs as low as $1,049, with those two deals both happening in July. The deal we’re seeing here is a combined $1,359 markdown off the MSRP, which lands it at the second-lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this particular bundle, or check out the other great outdoor backup power solutions seeing discounts, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

Save an exclusive $120 on Anker’s solar-powered EufyCam S3 Pro 4K 2-camera kit at second-best $430

We’ve secured an exclusive deal from Wellbots on the Anker EufyCam S3 Pro Solar-Powered 4K 2-Camera Kit with HomeBase 3 for $429.99 shipped, after using the exclusive code 9TO5EUFY120 at checkout. Normally going for $550 at full price, this newer security alternative has mostly seen drops to $440 throughout 2025, with a one-time fall to the $380 low back during July’s Prime Day. The deal here is giving you a 22% markdown that cuts $120 off the going rate for the second-lowest rate we have tracked and the best current price we can find.

If you want to learn more about this 2-camera bundle, be sure to check out our original coverage of this exclusive deal here.

Hiboy’s Fall Sale takes up to 50% off EVs, like the new and improved EX6F Folding e-bike at $980

Hiboy has launched its Fall Sale that is taking up to 50% off its lineup of e-bikes and e-scooters, with three tiers of extra savings at certain price thresholds. Among the lineup, we spotted the brand’s new EX6F Low-Step Foldable e-bike at $979.98 shipped, after using the code FALL20 at checkout, which beats out Amazon’s current pricing by $170. This model hit the market mid-June with a $1,580 price tag, which has mostly kept down at $1000 in sales since, save for the original launch deal that saw it drop to $950. The deal we’re seeing during this sale is a combined 38% markdown that cuts $600 off the tag for the second-lowest price we have tracked.

If you want to learn more about this new e-bike, as well as the other models seeing discounts, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

Worx’s Nitro 80V cordless backpack leaf blower kit produces up to 800 CFM clearing power for $400

Amazon is offering the Worx Nitro 80V 800 CFM Cordless Backpack Leaf Blower for $399.99 shipped. It normally fetches $500 at full price, with the discounts we’ve seen through the year having regularly returned costs to this same rate. While we did see it fall within a range of $362 to $349, that was a one-time occurrence that we haven’t seen again since late April, with you otherwise getting the next-best pricing here. You’ll save $100 off the going rate for the best price we can currently find, all while upgrading your arsenal from more standard hand-carry models.

If you want to learn more about this leaf blower, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Best Summer EV deals!

• Velotric Nomad 2X e-bike (camo) with DELTA 3 Plus station: $3,048 (Reg. $3,298)
• Velotric Nomad 2X e-bike (sage or fig) with DELTA 3 Plus station: $2,948 (Reg. $3,298)
• Aventon Ramblas Electric Mountain Bike: $2,599 (Reg. $2,899)
• Ride1Up Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive Gates Belt CVT e-bike: $2,595 (Reg. $2,795)
• Ride1Up Revv 1 DRT Off-Road Moped-Style e-bike: $2,395 (Reg. $2,595)
• Ride1Up Revv 1 Full Suspension Moped-Style e-bike: $2,395 (Reg. $2,595)
• Segway Xafari Red e-bike: $2,000 (Reg. $2,400)
• Velotric Nomad 2 All-Terrain e-bike with $120 bundle (new): $1,999 (No price cut)
• Rad Power Radster Road Commuter e-bike: $1,999 (Reg. $2,199)
• Rad Power Radster Trail Off-Road e-bike: $1,999 (Reg. $2,199)
• Lectric XPedition 2.0 35Ah Cargo e-bike w/ up to $674 bundle: $1,999 (Reg. $2,673)
• Ride1Up Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive 9-Speed e-bike: $1,995 (Reg. $2,495)
• Tenways AGO X All-Terrain e-bike with $307 bundle: $1,899 (Reg. $2,499)
• Velotric Fold 1 Plus e-bike (gray or white) with DELTA 2 station: $1,898 (Reg. $2,198)
• Velotric Fold 1 Plus e-bike (mango or blue) with DELTA 2 station: $1,828 (Reg. $2,198)
• Rad Power RadRunner Plus Cargo Utility e-bike with extra battery: $1,799 (No price cut)
• Aventon Abound SR Smart Cargo e-bike (new, first discount): $1,799 (Reg. $1,899)
• Lectric XP Trike2 750 Long-Range eTrike with $493 preorder bundle: $1,799 (Reg. $2,292)
• Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser e-bike with $150 bundle (new, first discount): $1,699 (Reg. $1,799)
• Aventon Pace 4 Smart Cruiser e-bike (new, second-ever discount): $1,699 (Reg. $1,799)
• Rad Power RadExpand 5 Plus Folding e-bike (lowest price): $1,699 (Reg. $1,899)
• Lectric XPedition 2.0 26Ah Cargo e-bike w/ $525 bundle: $1,699 (Reg. $2,224)
• Lectric XPeak 2.0 Long-Range Off-Road e-bike with $316 bundle: $1,699 (Reg. $2,015)
• Rad Power RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike with extra battery: $1,599 (Reg. $1,799)
• Aventon Abound Cargo e-bike: $1,599 (Reg. $1,999)
• Ride1Up VORSA Modular Multi-Use e-bike (first discount): $1,595 (Reg. $1,695)
• Rad Power RadRunner Cargo Utility e-bike with extra battery: $1,499 (No pirce cut)
• Lectric XPeak 2.0 Standard Off-Road e-bike with $227 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,726)
• Lectric XP Trike2 with $227 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,726)
• Rad Power RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,799)
• Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bikes with $118 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
• Velotric Nomad 1 Plus All-Terrain e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
• Electric Bike Co. Model J e-bike (code LABOR150): $1,499 (Reg. $1,849)
• Electric Bike Co. Model C e-bike (code LABOR150): $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
• Aventon Aventure 2 All-Terrain e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,999)
• Aventon Sinch 2 Folding e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,699)
• Lectric XPedition 2.0 13Ah Cargo e-bike with $326 bundle: $1,399 (Reg. $1,725)
• Aventon Level 2 Commuter e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
• Ride1Up Roadster V3 Lightweight Premium e-bike: $1,395 (Reg. $1,495)
• Velotric T1 ST Plus Lightweight e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,649)
• Rad Power RadRover 6 Plus Step-Thru Fat Tire e-bike: $1,299 (Reg. $1,599)
• Lectric XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes with $424 bundle: $1,299 (Reg. $1,723)
• Lectric XP4 750 LR Folding Utility e-bikes with $355 bundle: $1,299 (Reg. $1,654)
• Heybike Mars 2.0 Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with extra battery: $1,199 (Reg. $1,848)
• Lectric XP Lite 2.0 JW Black LR e-bike with $316 bundle: $1,099 (Reg. $1,415)
• Ride1Up Portola Folding e-bike with BOGO accessory promo: $995 (Reg. $1,095)
• Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $79 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,078)
• Aventon Soltera 2.5 Lightweight Commuter e-bike (first discount): $999 (Reg. $1,199)
• Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with up to $316 bundles: $999 (Reg. $1,315)
• Heybike Hauler Single-Battery Cargo e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
• Rad Power RadExpand 5 Folding e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,599)
• Vanpowers City Vanture Urban Commuter e-bike (code VANVIP): $799 (Reg. $1,749)

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

• Lectric’s Endless Summer Sale offers $424 in FREE gear with the 60-mile XPress 750 commuter e-bikes at $1,299, more
• Save up to an exclusive $2,377 on Bluetti’s new expansive Apex 300 power station and bundles starting from $1,529
• Anker’s SOLIX Fan Fest Sale increases savings on power stations as high as 63% with deals starting from $120
• EcoFlow’s Home Backup/Hurricane Preparedness Sale takes up to 62% off power stations + extra savings from $90
• Tenways End of Season Sale drops 37-pound CGO600 Pro e-bikes to $1,599 with $217 in FREE gear ($2,116 value), more
• Commute up to 50 miles on the 34-pound Vanpowers City Vanture urban commuter e-bike at $799 (Reg. $1,749)
• Save up to $770 on Anker’s three SOLIX EverFrost 2 electric coolers/bundles starting from a new $599 low
• Anker’s new SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 LiFePO4 power station arrives with launch discounts starting from $429 (Reg. $799)
• Haul precious cargo up to 90+ miles with Rad Power’s RadWagon 4 extra battery e-bike bundle at $1,599 ($2,248 value)
• Aiper’s IrriSense smart irrigation system brings far-reaching, app-controlled functionality to your yard at its $500 low
• Enhance at-home or campsite outdoor gatherings with Solo Stove’s Mesa XL tabletop fire pit at $76
• Save $202 on commercial-grade cutting power with Greenworks’ 82V 16-inch cordless chainsaw at a new $198 low
• Bluetti’s new Elite 30 V2 power station bundled with a carrying case gets first discount to $259 (Reg. $399), more from $219
• Grab EGO’s carbon fiber telescopic pole saw with an LED guide light and 2.5Ah battery at its $299 low (Reg. $389)
• EGO’s modular Nexus power station with two 7.5Ah batteries can also refuel your arsenal at $899 (Reg. $1,099)
• Shape and clear weeds with EGO’s 56V cordless 15-inch trimmer and 670 CFM blower combo at $320 low (Reg. up to $410)
• Building decks, fences, and more can start with Greenworks’ 82V cordless earth auger at a new $326 low (Reg. $600)
• Electrified Weekly – Rad Power extra battery e-bike bundles from $1,499, exclusive and promotional new lows from EcoFlow, Anker, more