Investigators say the man accused of assassinating conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk didn’t stay quiet after the shooting. He allegedly bragged about it online — just minutes after the crime.
Court records and new digital evidence reviewed by reporters suggest 22-year-old Tyler Robinson sent eerie messages to friends on the chat app Discord less than two hours after Kirk was gunned down during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
“He texted, ‘You see this news?????’” one of Robinson’s online contacts told police. “It was right after the reports started breaking.”
Prosecutors say Robinson continued posting cryptic remarks, referencing Utah “finally” making national headlines and mocking the fatal attack. In later messages, he allegedly wrote, “He’s reported dead and the footage looks BAD.”
Friends from Robinson’s gaming server told detectives he even joined a group voice chat that evening. One participant recalled him saying, “He got hit pretty bad. I’m pretty sure he’s dead.”
Authorities believe the comments were made roughly 90 minutes after Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck while delivering a speech to hundreds of students. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital soon after.
The suspect was arrested within hours following an intense manhunt across Utah County. Police say ballistics, cell data, and surveillance footage link Robinson to the attack.
When Robinson appeared in court last week, the accused killer seemed strangely relaxed — even smirking at times as his defense team debated whether cameras should be allowed in future hearings.
Reporters described the 22-year-old as “eerily calm.” His mother sat a few rows behind, wiping away tears.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, has urged the court to allow televised coverage, saying public transparency could counter conspiracy theories swirling around her husband’s death. “Why not be transparent?” she told local media. “The world deserves to see justice served.”
Utah prosecutors confirmed they will pursue the death penalty against Robinson, who faces aggravated murder charges. No clear motive has been established, though his mother has told investigators that her son’s political and social views shifted sharply in recent years.
“He grew up in a conservative home,” she said. “But he became more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented. He started arguing a lot about politics.”
In a small victory for the defense, Judge Tony Graf ruled in October that Robinson could wear civilian clothes during trial proceedings — citing the “risk of prejudice” from media exposure if he appeared in prison garb.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk — a polarizing but powerful voice of the conservative youth movement — has sent shockwaves through the political world.
Turning Point USA has called his death “a devastating act of political violence.” Memorials have drawn thousands of supporters across the country, while online speculation continues to rage.
As one law enforcement source told reporters, “It’s one of the most politically charged murder cases Utah has ever seen. Every new message, every chat log — it all matters now.”
Source: Court TV, Utah State Judiciary, local media interviews.
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