The 22-year-old suspect in the killing of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk is expected to appear in a Utah court on Tuesday, after a Discord platform confirmed messages from an account allegedly belonging to him taking responsibility for the fatal shooting.
“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” read a message from the account believed to be Tyler Robinson, hours before his arrest on 11 September. “It was me at UVU yesterday. i’m sorry for all of this.” The messages were first reported by the Washington Post and later confirmed by a Discord spokesperson.
Robinson was arrested following a manhunt and is expected to face formal charges, which could include capital murder, punishable by death. Utah County prosecutor Jeff Gray has scheduled a news conference to release charging documents. Federal charges may also follow, according to Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but Vice-President JD Vance has claimed “leftwing extremism” was “part of the reason”, without providing evidence. FBI director Kash Patel alleged the suspect justified his actions by saying “some hatred cannot be negotiated with”, citing text messages.
Discord said its investigation found “no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence” on its platform. The suspect reportedly exchanged messages with friends before surrendering, writing “im surrendering through a sheriff friend”. DNA matching Robinson was found on a towel and screwdriver used in the shooting, officials said.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has vowed to seek the death penalty for Kirk’s killing. The suspect’s first court appearance will likely be via video, where he will be arraigned.
