The FBI has widened its investigation into possible ties between the Salt Lake City LGBTQ gun-rights group Armed Queers SLC and the suspect in the Sept. 10 shooting that killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, law enforcement officials familiar with the matter said.
Investigators recovered open-source material after the group scrubbed its online presence, and a cache of information was downloaded and handed to the FBI, the officials said. The cache includes posts from Ermiya Fanaeian, the founder of Armed Queers SLC, whose Instagram bio proclaims “Revolution + Trans liberation in our lifetime!” The officials stressed that the information was obtained from publicly available sources and is part of an ongoing review to determine whether Fanaeian and others knew of or supported the suspect’s plans. A law enforcement source told The Post that the material was downloaded and retained prior to the wider probe.
Fanaeian, 25, previously helped launch the Salt Lake City chapter of Pink Pistols in 2020, a group described by Utah’s KUER as advocating for armed LGBTQ individuals. In a reflection cited by KUER, she said she had once supported the idea of confiscating AR-15s but, in a reversal, now owns one. Pink Pistols later disavowed any ongoing connection to the local chapter she led, saying she had broadened the group’s focus beyond its single-issue mandate. In 2023, she founded Armed Queers SLC, which hosted a lecture on “queer resistance” at the University of Utah in September 2023, about 45 miles from UVU where Kirk was killed. Flyers for the event, produced with Mecha de U of U, depicted a woman wearing multiple ammo belts and clutching an AK-47.
Fanaeian also helped launch a student study group associated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a group whose curriculum includes figures such as Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. The Daily Utah Chronicle reported that Fanaeian drew inspiration from mid-20th-century communist and socialist figures including Fidel Castro and the Black Panther Party, and she described PSL as a “leftist, anti-capitalist” movement rather than a liberal one. The Chronicle quoted her saying, “We are a working class revolutionary movement.”
The FBI is examining whether the broader network surrounding Robinson may have known about or assisted his alleged plans, with investigators seeking to determine whether there were others involved beyond the suspect. Robinson faces seven state charges, including aggravated murder, and federal investigators have not ruled out pursuing additional charges or identifying an extended network connected to the crime. Officials emphasized that no final conclusions have been reached about any direct involvement by Armed Queers SLC or its members in the shooting.
PSL’s profile in the notes includes Nevile Singham, described as a US tech mogul with ties to the Chinese Communist Party who funds a range of radical organizations, including National Students for Justice in Palestine, International People’s Assembly, Code Pink, and the ANSWER Coalition. The notes say Fanaeian’s activities intersect with PSL, though she could not be reached for comment.
As the investigation continues, authorities caution that information from open sources and social media is only one element of a broader inquiry. Officials said they expect to pursue additional interviews and forensic reviews as they determine whether any network beyond Robinson played a role or had foreknowledge of the plan. The case remains active and unfolding, with investigators and prosecutors coordinating across federal and state agencies to evaluate potential charges and connections.
Image 2: Ermiya Fanaeian founder of Armed Queers SLC
Image 3: Court video image related to the case
Image 4: Event flyer linked to Mecha de U of U and Armed Queers SLC
The investigation into the shooting and any potential ties to Armed Queers SLC continues, with authorities seeking to establish a complete timeline of events and any possible collaborators. Officials reiterated that charging decisions remain under review and that they will provide updates as the case develops. The topic also underscores broader political tensions surrounding gun rights, LGBTQ activism, and radical politics in the current national climate.