The FBI is investigating a series of social media posts and online interactions that agents say may have signaled advance knowledge of the September 10 shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Federal agents have identified multiple posts across platforms including X and TikTok, and are examining private messaging on gaming-focused services such as Discord and Steam, officials said. Investigators are also probing local groups and networks in Utah where the suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is thought to have been active as they seek to determine whether anyone else had prior knowledge of an alleged plot.
"There appear to have been multiple warning signs," an FBI official, Dan Bongino, said in a public statement as agents expanded their review of posts and private messages. "The question is...did they know? Were they sure of this? Or did they hear this and just write it off? That's what we're going to have to find out," the official added.
Federal authorities said they have recovered a string of posts that they will assess for timing, content and authorship. Some material allegedly surfaced before the shooting, including a TikTok clip posted the day before that investigators say referenced "charles james kirk" and included language suggesting imminent harm. Other posts cited in the inquiry ranged from a message posted a week earlier joking about someone like Kirk being shot on Sept. 10 to an account that, after the shooting, posted "WE F***ING DID IT."
Investigators cautioned that many of the posts were deleted shortly after the shooting and that some accounts and messages remain unverified. Officials said they are attempting to corroborate social media activity with witness statements, device records and other evidence gathered at the scene.
Authorities say Robinson, who has been arrested, maintained a circle of online acquaintances from high school and gaming forums. Messages on Discord that agents recovered allegedly show exchanges after law-enforcement released surveillance images of the suspect, including a message from Robinson's account that read, "my doppelganger is trying to get me in trouble." Police allege that, roughly two hours before turning himself in, Robinson posted to a small group on Discord: "Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. it was me at UVU (Utah Valley University) yesterday. im sorry for all of this." Discord has told investigators it is cooperating with the probe, according to law-enforcement officials.
Federal agents said they are also investigating whether Robinson's views had shifted and whether people in his network were aware of any plans. In comments released by the FBI official, investigators suggested that Robinson had become "infected" by far-left ideology and that some in his circle believed Kirk would be "obviously" a target. The official said determining what those contacts knew and when will be central to the inquiry.
As part of the broader examination, the FBI is looking into local activist networks that operate in Utah. One group, Armed Queers Salt Lake City, deleted its Instagram account after the shooting, and has been identified in social reporting as a self-described defense organization for queer community members. Officials said there is no known connection between Robinson and that organization.
Law-enforcement sources emphasized that social-media posts and online rhetoric do not by themselves establish criminal liability for people who did not participate in a crime, and that the probe seeks to establish whether any individual had actionable knowledge that could have been disclosed to authorities. The inquiry will examine whether messages contained specific, credible threats or if they constituted protected speech or after-the-fact reaction.
Charlie Kirk is a prominent conservative organizer and founder of the group Turning Point USA. The shooting has intensified scrutiny of the security surrounding political commentators and campus appearances, and reignited debate about the role of online communities in radicalizing individuals and signaling violent intent.
Investigators have recovered surveillance images and a map indicating the alleged shooting location and say they are tracing Robinson's movements and communications in the days leading up to the attack. Officials have not publicly disclosed a motive and declined to say whether any additional suspects are expected to face charges as the probe continues.
The FBI said it will continue to analyze deleted posts, private messages and membership in online groups while seeking cooperation from platforms and individuals. Officials urged anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact federal or local authorities.
The review is ongoing, and investigators said they will release additional information as warranted by evidence and legal requirements.