Crystal Charles
The alleged killer of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is due to appear in court on Tuesday, after apparently confessing to the shooting on the messaging platform, Discord.
According to law enforcement sources, Tyler Robinson, 22, messaged friends in a group chat hours before his arrest last week in connection with Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University (UVU).
“It was me at UVU yesterday. I’m sorry for all of this,” read a message from an account believed to belong to Robinson.
Robinson was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice—charges that could carry the death penalty.
The Discord messages, first reported by The Washington Post, are believed to have been posted near the end of a more than 24-hour manhunt for Kirk’s killer.
Charlie Kirk, 31, a controversial conservative figure and close ally of former President Donald Trump, was shot in the neck on Wednesday, September 10, while speaking at an open-air Turning Point USA event at UVU. He died at the scene.
The killing of the popular social media personality sparked national outrage, with Democrats and Republicans trading blame over divisive political rhetoric. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson confessed to his father before surrendering to police.
Law enforcement sources said Robinson and his friends bantered about the shooting in a Discord group chat involving more than 20 people. Messages from the account believed to be Robinson’s also suggested he was preparing to turn himself in: “I’m surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. Thanks for all the good times and laughs.”
Discord said its internal review found “no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.”
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News on Monday, September 15, that a text exchange found on Robinson’s phone indicated he had specifically targeted Kirk: “He stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and he was going to do that.”
Governor Cox has claimed Robinson was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology.” Public records show Robinson was registered as an unaffiliated voter in Utah, though family members told investigators he had become “more political” in recent years and mentioned Kirk’s UVU appearance at a family dinner.
Some Republicans, including Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, have suggested a broader plot behind the assassination, but investigators say there is no evidence Robinson acted as part of a group.
Kirk, a devout Christian and gun rights advocate, co-founded Turning Point USA to mobilize conservative students on U.S. campuses. His outspoken views made him a polarizing figure, admired by supporters but condemned by critics for remarks they saw as offensive to minority groups.
Robinson remains held without bail at Utah County Jail.