Brajesh Upadhyay and Kayla EpsteinWashington, DC and Washington, Utah
BBC Verify examines Tyler Robinson’s social media accounts
The man suspected of fatally shooting right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is set to appear in court on Tuesday to face formal charges over the killing.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody on 12 September in his native Utah following a 33-hour manhunt involving local law enforcement and the FBI.
Robinson is being held without bail in a special housing unit at the Utah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily harm. He could face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.
Kirk, 31, died of a single gunshot wound while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on 10 September. CCTV video showed the suspect fleeing from a rooftop after the shot was fired before escaping into a nearby wooded area.
In the hours that followed, police released several images of the suspect and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to their arrest. Robinson’s father later recognised him from the images, investigators said, and eventually persuaded him to surrender.
A motive for the killing is yet to be revealed by officials. At a press briefing on Friday, the FBI refused to discuss Robinson’s background, political leanings or a possible motive, saying the investigation was ongoing.
“We are confident we have the right individual in custody,” an FBI spokesperson said, “but we are still working to establish the full picture of who he is and why he acted”.
FBI
Officials released this image before Robinson was arrested on 12 September
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said a family member told investigators that Robinson had become “more political” in recent years. The relative also said that during a dinner conversation before the attack, Robinson had discussed Kirk’s upcoming event at Utah Valley University, according to Cox.
“They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,” Cox said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said a note was discovered at Robinson’s home, written before the shooting, which allegedly included a threat to “take out” Kirk. He also said DNA found on a towel wrapped around the suspected murder weapon matched the suspect.
Robinson has no prior convictions and no history of violent offences, according to a Public Safety Assessment Report filed in Utah state court.
Public records reviewed by the BBC suggest Robinson had in the past registered as an unaffiliated, or nonpartisan, voter in Utah. His parents, Matthew Carl Robinson and Amber Denise Robinson are registered Republicans, according to state records.
People who lived in the Robinsons’ Washington, Utah, neighbourhood told the BBC he had a good reputation in the community.
One neighbour, who asked the BBC not to publish her name, called his parents “amazing” and hard workers.
Tyler Robinson, who had an apartment in St. George near his family home, was not enrolled at UVU, the site of the shooting.
In a statement, the Utah Board of Higher Education said Tyler James Robinson was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship programme at Dixie Technical College.
“He previously spent one semester at Utah State University in 2021 and earned concurrent enrolment credits through Utah Tech University while in high school between 2019 and 2021,” it added.
Social media accounts indicate Robinson’s father runs a kitchen countertop and cabinet installation business, while his mother is a social worker. The family is Mormon and active in the local church.
Utah governor details how Charlie Kirk murder suspect apprehended
Investigators also are looking at social media accounts used by Robinson, and any signs that anyone may have known about or encouraged the shooting beforehand.
Authorities said Robinson appeared to have been active on Discord, the social media platform primarily used by gamers, but now also popular in other communities.
According to an affidavit, a roommate of Robinson’s showed investigators messages on Discord from a contact named “Tyler” referencing a rifle “drop point” and instructions about retrieving and hiding the weapon.
The suspect also appears to have confessed to friends on Discord shortly before turning himself in to law enforcement, according to US media reports on Monday.
“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” said a message from an account belonging to Robinson, according to the Washington Post. “It was me at UVU yesterday. im (sic) sorry for all of this.”
But officials said he is “not co-operating” with authorities and has not confessed to carrying out the shooting.
The reported message on Discord was sent on Thursday night, about two hours before officials said Robinson was taken into custody.
Discord later issued a statement saying his account had been suspended. “We have removed the suspect’s account for violating our off-platform behavior policy,” it said.
Authorities have also pointed to inscriptions on shell casings linked to the case.
Two casings displayed apparent references to online trolling humour. The inscription “notices bulges OwO what’s this?” on a fired shell casing may refer to a “copypasta” – a piece of text that is repeated over and over again, often to troll people online. Another casing, that was unfired, was inscribed with the words “If you read this, you are gay lmao” – again an apparent reference to a trolling joke.
Meanwhile, other casings could be interpreted as sympathetic to Antifa, or the anti-fascist movement, a loose collection of far-left activists who have been active in the US over the last decade and often demonstrate against Trump policies and far-right groups.
One unfired casing had the words “Hey fascist! Catch!” and an up, right and three down arrows.
The three down arrows alone could be a common symbol used for anti-fascism. But as a whole, the arrows could reference a sequence of control inputs used in a popular video game – although this remains unclear, and authorities have not yet released images of the casings.
A second casing was inscribed with lyrics to the song “Bella Ciao” that honours World War Two-era partisans of the Italian resistance who fought Nazi Germany.
The investigation into his background and motives continues in what officials are calling one of the most significant political killings in recent US history.