Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators found that the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week joked on the messaging platform Discord that he resembled the person captured in surveillance photos of the attack.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody on Friday in connection with the shooting at Utah Valley University that left Kirk dead. Authorities released surveillance images after investigators spent nearly two days working to identify a suspect. Robinson is expected to be formally charged in Kirk’s death this week, officials and news reports said.
Messages obtained by The New York Times and discussed by Cox show friends in a Discord group chat tagging Robinson in posts that included the surveillance photos and joking about his resemblance. One exchange quoted by media showed a user writing “wya” with a skull emoji after posting the images; Robinson allegedly replied, "My doppelganger's trying to get me in trouble." Another user wrote, "Tyler killed Charlie!!!!" as a joke, according to the messages. In other messages, Robinson allegedly quipped about splitting a reward and mentioned getting rid of a manifesto and a rifle.
Cox told ABC News that investigators found the joking persisted until, investigators say, Robinson admitted he was the person in the images. "Those conversations definitely were happening," Cox said. In separate interviews the governor said authorities were examining whether Robinson’s romantic relationship with a transgender partner, identified by Cox as his roommate Lance Twiggs, was a possible motive. Cox said Twiggs, described as a male who is transitioning to female, has been cooperating with investigators.
Federal and local officials said investigators also were reviewing a note they said Robinson left and communications that described the note. Jud Hoffman, vice president of trust and safety at Discord, told reporters that there were communications between the suspect’s roommate and a friend after the shooting in which the roommate recounted the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere. Cox said the contents were still being processed for accuracy and would be included in charging documents if verified.
Authorities said casings recovered at the scene bore engravings, which officials described as referencing transgender and antifascist themes and including other phrases and imagery. The markings have drawn attention as investigators seek to determine motive, but officials cautioned against drawing conclusions until charges are filed and evidence is fully reviewed.
Kirk, 31, was taking part in a campus event and debating with students when he was shot in the neck and later died. The killing prompted an extensive law enforcement response, a public search for the suspect and scrutiny of online communications and social-media activity in the hours surrounding the shooting.
Those who knew Robinson in school said they were stunned by the arrest. A former classmate, Jaida Funk, described him as a "sharp, kind" student who excelled in mathematics and would have seemed likely to pursue business or academic success. Another former classmate, speaking in a TikTok video, described Robinson as the kind of student who spent substantial time online and said some peers had become deeply influenced by internet subcultures.
Cox told NBC News investigators were exploring whether Robinson’s political views and online activity had become more extreme after he left Utah State University and moved back to southern Utah. "Clearly there was a lot of gaming going on, friends that have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark Internet, Reddit culture and these other dark places on the Internet where this person was going deep," Cox said.
Law enforcement said Robinson was persuaded to surrender by his father. The FBI and local authorities are continuing to review digital evidence, witness statements and physical evidence, and they have said additional details will be disclosed as charges are filed and court documents are produced.
The investigation remains active. Prosecutors and federal agents have not publicly released a timetable for charges beyond media reports that a filing is expected, and officials have urged patience as they verify evidence and prepare charging documents.