A roommate handed over messages that helped prompt the arrest of the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, according to a law enforcement affidavit and local reporting.
The affidavit filed by an officer with the Utah attorney general’s office says the roommate produced messages in which the suspect, identified in charging documents as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, discussed retrieving and hiding a rifle after the shooting. Robinson was arrested Thursday and faces charges that include murder, obstruction and a felony firearms count.
The affidavit, which details messages recovered by investigators, says Robinson sent communications describing leaving a rifle in a bush, watching the area where it had been left, wrapping the weapon in a towel, references to engraving bullets, and comments about the rifle’s scope and uniqueness. The messages also referred to changing outfits, the filing said. Investigators located a Mauser .30-06 rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the university shortly after the shooting; officials have said the rifle was linked to the attack.
Daily Mail reported that the roommate who turned over the messages is Lance Twiggs, who lived with Robinson in a three-bedroom apartment in Saint George, Utah. The affidavit itself does not identify the roommate or accuse him of participation in the crime; it describes the messages as having been provided by a person who cooperated with investigators.
Separate media reports have said Robinson was living with a partner who is transgender and that the partner is cooperating with investigators. It is not clear whether those reports refer to the same roommate described in the affidavit. Members of the roommate’s extended family declined to confirm or deny that a transgender motive played any role in the shooting. Jerry Twiggs, identified by Daily Mail as the roommate’s grandfather, said he did not want to comment on rumors and said he had not seen his grandson since police spoke with him.
Officials have not publicly confirmed a motive in the killing. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told the Wall Street Journal that Robinson appeared "deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology," a characterization that Cox attributed to information available to investigators. Officials with the Utah attorney general’s office and local law enforcement have otherwise declined to discuss motive while the investigation continues.
Neighbors and people who knew Robinson and the roommate described them as young men active in online gaming communities. Robinson and the roommate were reported to be part of a larger group of gamer friends who used the Discord chat platform; the affidavit says some of the messages were exchanged on Discord. Robinson maintained social media accounts in which he posted gaming videos and other content. Local residents told reporters that police conducted an early morning search of the two-story housing complex where the men lived, photographing interiors and removing boxes and electronic equipment.
Education and employment records reviewed by reporters indicate both men had ties to the area. The roommate studied at Utah Tech University, according to his social media, and Robinson was enrolled in an electrical apprenticeship program at a nearby technical college. A real-estate listing for the Fossil Hills housing complex, where they lived, shows a three-bedroom, two-bath unit with roommates sharing rent.
Police officers and a forensics team were seen at the apartment complex the morning authorities executed search warrants. A neighbor told The New York Times that Robinson "would always blast music with his roommate" and was not social with other residents. Another child who recently sought odd jobs in the complex said Robinson appeared nervous and kept glancing back into his apartment.
The affidavit is part of the court record supporting the charges against Robinson. It lays out the evidence investigators say connects him to the shooting, including the messages about the rifle and the subsequent recovery of the weapon. The roommate’s decision to give those messages to police is central to the affidavit’s account, but the document does not allege the roommate took part in the shooting.
Authorities continue to investigate the shooting and have asked anyone with additional information to come forward. Prosecutors and law enforcement officials have not provided a public timeline for potential additional charges or an arraignment date, and they cautioned that investigative steps, including forensics and witness interviews, remain ongoing.