President Donald Trump said Monday that the man accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk appeared to have been "radicalized on the internet," comments that came as investigators focus on online messaging platforms in the wake of the September 10 shooting at Utah Valley University.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is in custody and has been charged in the fatal shooting during one of Kirk's open-forum events, authorities have said. Asked at the White House whether the alleged gunman acted alone, Trump said, "I don't know," and added that "he didn't work alone on the internet because it seems he became radicalized on the internet," which he said reflected the preliminary findings of law enforcement officials.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, present as Trump signed a memorandum dispatching the National Guard to Memphis, sharply shifted the focus in response to a reporter's question about the responsibility of social media companies. "Parents — you've got to watch what your kids are doing on the internet — what they're doing online. What they're listening to, what they're reading," Bondi said. "Parents have got to monitor that because this starts when you're young. Parents have got to just be vigilant."
Federal and local investigators have said messages on the Discord messaging platform are central to the probe, and officials have described recovered messages they contend link Robinson to planning the killing. Discord has disputed that characterization, saying the platform was not used to plan the attack.