17 hours ago
2
Tyler Robinson has been charged with the aggravated murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, as they revealed text messages he allegedly sent in the hours after the shooting in which he admitted his guilt.
In one message sent to his roommate, who investigators say he was dating, Robinson allegedly said of Kirk: "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."
Robinson, 22, was charged with seven counts total: one count of aggravated murder and felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and one count of commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Robinson is accused of killing Kirk with a single shot from 160 yards away as the conservative influencer spoke to a crowd of hundreds at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. He was arrested following a 33-hour manhunt after his parents recognized surveillance images of the suspect released by police and convinced him, with the help of a family friend, to turn himself in.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said at the press conference in Utah County.
“I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” Gray said.
Read More: The Killing of Charlie Kirk and the Political Violence Haunting America
“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy. Charlie Kirk was murdered while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights, the bedrock of our democratic republic, the free exchange of ideas and a search for truth, understanding, and a more perfect union,” Gray continued.
After revealing the charges, Gray read aloud text messages he said investigators retrieved from Robinson’s partner's phone in which he allegedly confessed to the killing. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said over the weekend that Robinson's roommate was fully cooperating with investigators.
“Drop what you’re doing. Look under my keyboard,” Robinson texted his partner. Investigators revealed the note read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I'm going to take it. After reading the note, the partner responded: "What?????????????? You’re joking,right????”
Robinson replied: "I am still ok my love, but am stuck in orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you."
After the partner asked if he was the one who shot Kirk, Robinson confessed: “I am, I'm sorry," according to the indictment.
When Robinson is asked why he shot Kirk, he replied, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence.”
He said he had been planning the shooting for "a bit over a week," according to the messages released by prosecutors.
Robinson also explained the obscure engravings found on bullet casings that were left behind at the scene.
“Remember how I was engraving bullets? The f****** messages are mostly a big meme, if I see ‘notices bulge uwu’ on fox new I might have a stroke,” he said, referring to one of the engravings.
Robinson appeared to make a joke about the rifle he allegedly used in the killing, which was a present from his father and was previously owned by his grandfather.
"[J]udging from today I’d say grandpas gun does just fine idk," he wrote, according to the indictment.
Robinson's last messages to his partner were telling them he was turning himself in, urging them not to talk to the media, and to ask for a lawyer if questioned by the police.
"You are all I worry about love," he wrote. "I’m much more worried about you."
Gray also revealed the key role Robinson's parents played in cracking the case.
It was Robinson's mother, after seeing the first images released by police of the suspect on television, who first expressed concern that her son might be the killer. When she raised it with her husband, they both agreed the images resembled their son. Robinson’s mother called him the day after the shooting and asked what he was doing, and Robinson told his mother that he was home, sick, and that he had also been home sick the day prior, on Sept. 10.
When authorities released a description of the gun used in the crime and it matched one that Robinson's father had given him as a gift, he asked his son to send him a photo of the rifle, Gray said. Robinson did not respond to his father.
When they eventually spoke on the phone, Robinson admitted to the crime and implied to his father that he intended to take his own life. Robinson’s parents were able to convince him to meet at their home, where he implied that he was the shooter. They eventually convinced Robinson to speak with a family friend who is a retired deputy sheriff, who ultimately convinced him to turn himself in.
FBI Director Kash Patel testified Tuesday at a heated Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the investigation. The FBI is interviewing “a lot more” than 20 people who participated in a chat with Robinson on online platform Discord, Patel testified. The platform confirmed reports that Robinson had posted messages to a Discord chat two hours before being taken into custody.
“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” a message read. “It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this.”
The FBI is “investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat,” Patel said. “We’re running them all down.”
Robinson appeared virtually in court from Utah County Jail at around 5 p.m. ET. Judge Tony F. Graf informed Robinson of his charges and appointed him an attorney, noting that Robinson is indigent and cannot afford legal fees. Robinson will remain in custody, without bail, Graf said.
Robinson’s next hearing will be held via WebEx on Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. local time (noon ET).
Graf also granted Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, a pretrial protective order requested by Utah County prosecutors.
Kirk's killing, and its aftermath, have stoked deep divisions across the country at a time when political violence was already on the rise. It has prompted plans for a crackdown on leftwing groups by the Trump Administration and threats to prosecute “hate speech.”
Utah’s Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said on Monday that authorities believe Robinson acted alone, but they are trying to determine if anyone knew of his plans beforehand.
What investigators conclude about Robinson’s motivations may have far-reaching consequences beyond his own criminal case. In the aftermath of the attack, Trump and his officials have promised grave consequences for the “radical left,” which he claimed was “directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today.”
Kirk was a leading voice among conservative youths who rose to national prominence at the beginning of the Trump era. He was central in rallying support for Trump’s presidential campaigns among young people, using campus events to build his organization, Turning Point USA, which raised tens of millions of dollars for the president's 2024 run.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012 when he was only 18, as a conservative response to liberal organizing platforms. He was known for his controversial political and social takes related to race, gun violence and immigration, and had an audience of millions of viewers and listeners across various platforms.
Kirk was speaking to university students in Orem, Utah, at one of his many college-campus debates when he was shot in the neck.
Videos of Kirk’s killing spread online and across social media platforms such as X and TikTok. Many people have been fired for sharing celebratory reactions to the killing online.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam contributed reporting.
English (US) · 