Tyler Robinson, 22, who has been charged with aggravated murder in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, may have revealed details about the killing to a roommate via messages on the Discord app, according to court papers filed Friday.
The arrest affidavit says the roommate showed investigators messages from a contact he had named "Tyler" that described a "need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point," leaving a rifle in a bush wrapped in a towel, visually watching the area where the rifle was left, and references to engraving bullets. The court filing says some of the engraved casings bore hostile messages, including "Hey fascist! catch!" Authorities say those engravings matched casings recovered at the scene.
Investigators said surveillance footage captured a suspect fleeing the rooftop of the Losee Center building after a shot was fired into a Utah Valley University courtyard, and that a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a dark towel was later recovered in a wooded area near campus. The affidavit states messages from the contact "Tyler" also mentioned a change of clothes and that the rifle was "unique." Law enforcement officials said the communications helped lead to Robinson's arrest late Thursday and to the aggravated murder charge filed Friday.
Discord, the messaging platform, disputed media accounts that suggested planning messages were exchanged there. In a statement reported by several outlets, the company said while Robinson had an account on the platform, "there’s no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord." The company said the specific messages cited by officials "do not appear to be Discord messages" and that they were communications between the suspect's roommate and a friend after the shooting, in which the roommate was recounting material the suspect had left elsewhere. Discord said it had removed the suspect's account for violating its off-platform behavior policy.
Robinson surrendered to authorities after his father confronted him about the shooting and after contact with a youth minister, law enforcement said. He was booked after being taken into custody and faces an aggravated murder charge, the document shows. Police have not publicly released a motive.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at a Friday news conference that the arrest helped "bring closure to this very dark chapter in our nation's history." "This is a very sad day for our country," he said.
The shooting, which authorities say occurred during an event at Utah Valley University, prompted an immediate response from campus police and local law enforcement. Investigators collected physical evidence at the scene and reviewed surveillance footage as part of the probe. The affidavit is part of the court and investigative record but does not by itself prove guilt; the matter will proceed through the criminal justice system.
Public commentary and media reports about the source and content of the messages have varied since the shooting. Officials described the roommate as volunteering the messages after investigators questioned him about the suspect's online activity. Discord's account of the exchanges says the messages in recent reporting were the roommate retelling the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere, not contemporaneous planning messages on the platform.
Prosecutors have not released a trial date. Defense attorneys and representatives for Robinson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Investigators continue to review digital and physical evidence as the case moves forward.