Inside Tyler Robinson’s thoughts: Texts shine new mild on Charlie Kirk’s suspected murderer | EUROtoday

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah resident accused of killing MAGA commentator Charlie Kirk, has been formally charged with aggravated homicide.

At a press convention saying costs towards him Tuesday, state prosecutors revealed textual content messages despatched by Robinson to his roommate and alleged romantic accomplice, through which he appeared to take accountability for the deadly taking pictures at Utah Valley University final week.

Robinson evaded seize for 33 hours after allegedly opening fireplace on Kirk from a rooftop round 160 yards away from the place he was talking, leaping off a roof and disappearing within the ensuing chaos. The right-wing influencer, 31, died a number of hours after being struck within the neck by the bullet.

Robinson has been formally charged with aggravated homicide and 6 different costs, together with obstruction of justice and witness tampering.

Here’s what we all know concerning the alleged killer:

Who is the suspect?

Robinson grew up within the conservative southern Utah metropolis of Washington together with his mother, a skilled social employee who works at Intermountain Support Coordination Services; dad, a police officer and kitchen fitter; and two brothers, social media footage counsel.

He has been described as “quiet” by individuals who know him, in addition to a straight-A scholar. His grandmother claimed she had “never” heard her grandson talk about politics. However, members of the family advised investigators that Robinson had change into “more political” lately.

Utah voting info seen by The Independent exhibits the 22-year-old’s voter standing is “inactive,” that means he has not voted within the final two basic elections or responded to notices despatched by a county clerk.

His get together affiliation is listed as “unaffiliated,” whereas each his mother and father are registered Republicans, in response to state voter data.

“Most of my family members are Republican. I don’t know any single one who’s a Democrat. I’m just so confused,” the suspect’s grandmother, Debbie Robinson, 69, advised the Daily Mail. Pictures on social media present Robinson wearing a Trump costume for Halloween in 2017.

Robinson didn’t attend Utah Valley University, the place the taking pictures befell.

He obtained a resident presidential scholarship to Utah State University, however solely attended the establishment for one yr. He then moved dwelling to finish {an electrical} apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah, in response to the Utah System of Higher Education.

He was dwelling in an condo within the metropolis on the time of the taking pictures.

What has he been charged with?

Robinson has been charged with seven counts, probably the most critical of that are aggravated homicide and felony discharge of a firearm. Aggravating elements have been utilized to these costs based mostly on focusing on Kirk over political expression and realizing that kids have been current and would witness the murder.

The full costs are:

Count 1: Aggravated homicide

Count 2: Felony discharge of firearm

Count 3: Obstruction of justice, for shifting and concealing a rifle

Count 4: Obstruction of justice, for disposing of clothes

Count 5: Witness tampering, for guiding roommate to delete texts

Count 6: Witness tampering, directing roommate to remain silent

Count 7: Commission of a violent offense within the presence of a kid, for committing murder realizing kids current

Federal officers are additionally weighing bringing a case towards Robinson.

Could Robinson face the dying penalty?

Announcing the costs Tuesday, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray stated that he can be looking for the dying penalty within the case.

“This is not a decision I take lightly,” he stated.

A jury within the case would first have to find out Robinson’s guilt after which if he’s eligible for execution. He would in any other case face a most sentence of life imprisonment if convicted. The state carried out its final execution in 2024, ending a 15-year hiatus for capital punishment in Utah.

Utah prison protection lawyer Clayton Simms advised Fox13 that elements together with the dying of a “public official,” explicit cruelty and the truth that he put others in danger throughout the incident, could probably sway a jury in favor of execution.

“If you kill someone in front of 3,000 live witnesses, if you kill someone knowing that it’s going to have an impact beyond the state of Utah… that could be particularly cruel,” Simms stated.

Robinson’s age or doable psychological well being points could rely as mitigating elements, the outlet reported. Mitigating elements can be utilized throughout trial to indicate why an individual shouldn’t be given a dying sentence.

President Donald Trump has additionally referred to as for the dying penalty; nonetheless, Gray stated Tuesday that he had made the choice “independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.”

Robinson’s subsequent courtroom look can be on September 29, and a choose wants to contemplate whether or not the state has sufficient proof earlier than continuing to a trial.

Robinson has but to be arraigned or enter a plea. Local officers have stated the 22-year-old is indigent and have sought to assign him government-appointed authorized counsel.

What is the proof?

Authorities stated Tuesday that Robinson left a observe for his roommate underneath his keyboard implicating himself in Kirk’s homicide, after which had a textual content dialog through which he additionally stated he had dedicated the crimes.

In an interview on Fox and Friends, FBI director Kash Patel defined that the observe had been “destroyed,” however that that they had forensic proof of the observe. Patel defined that the FBI believed the observe existed earlier than the taking pictures and was in Robinson’s and his roommate’s dwelling.

Patel summarized the contents of the observe as one thing to the impact of, “I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” This content material of the message, he stated, was gleaned by way of interviews.

Robinson advised his roommate, who authorities say is biologically male and transitioning to feminine, that he had deliberate the crime for greater than every week, in response to messages obtained by investigators.

In the change, Robinson stated he had “hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age,” and apologized for involving them.

“If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence,” he wrote. “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.”

Robinson additionally advised his roommate to delete their texts and never speak to the media.

Robinson later allegedly messaged buddies on the social messaging platform Discord, writing, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all…it was me at UVU yesterday. I’m sorry for all of this.”

DNA matching Robinson was additionally discovered on the set off a the rifle found by detectives, and on a number of the shell casings. The gun belonged to his grandfather, authorities stated.

Robinson was allegedly frightened about leaving his grandfather’s rifle on the scene. “How the f*** would I explain losing it to my old man?”

What will we learn about his potential motives?

State officers, in addition to different members of the Republican get together, have decried Kirk’s assassination as “politically motivated.”

While guest-hosting an episode of The Charlie Kirk Show on Monday in honor of his “dear friend,” Vice President JD Vance positioned the blame on the ft of “left-wing extremism.” FBI Director Kash Patel additionally claimed that Robinson “subscribed to left-wing ideology,” citing feedback by his household.

However, it isn’t clear whether or not Robinson’s motives have been explicitly political, and officers haven’t publicly accused the 22-year-old of appearing in live performance with any accomplices or organized group to hold out the alleged plot.

The FBI has additionally just lately acknowledged a brand new class of assaults by so-called nihilistic violent extremists, those that search chaos greater than any clear ideological finish.

Robinson’s mom defined that, over the previous yr, the suspect had change into “more political,” in response to charging paperwork. His political stance began to lean to the left — in stark distinction to his mother and father — and he turned extra pro-gay and trans-oriented, the doc added.

In a dialog earlier than the taking pictures, Robinson talked about Kirk can be holding an occasion on the college, which he referred to as a “stupid venue.”

When requested by his roommate why he had dedicated the alleged crime, he replied, “I had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred,” in response to police. ”Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Online figures on the political proper have prompt with out concrete proof that Robinson’s alleged assault was immediately associated to having a roommate and romantic accomplice who was trans or transitioning, given Kirk’s common criticism of transgender folks.

Gray, the county lawyer, declined this week to touch upon whether or not transgender activism impressed the taking pictures.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has stated the bureau is investigating if an “extended network” of people could possibly be tied to the taking pictures.

The shell casings discovered by the rifle have been engraved with messages that included, “Hey, fascist! Catch!” with an up arrow image, proper arrow image, and three down arrow symbols, an obvious reference to a button code within the online game Helldivers 2.

Another casing learn, “oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao,” an obvious reference to “Bella ciao,” a track with roots in an Italian anti-fascist anthem throughout the Second World War. The track has additionally been popularized by the sequence Money Heist and the online game Far Cry 6.

The spent casing reportedly included the phrase “notices, bulges, OWO, what’s this?” an obvious reference to an ironic meme. Another casing allegedly stated, “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”

On Tuesday, Gray confirmed investigators believed the etched inscriptions on the bullets have been “a big meme.”

How was he caught?

Law enforcement spent over a day trying to find Robinson, releasing surveillance photographs and movies of the 22-year-old and begging the general public to assist establish him.

According to the charging doc, Robinson’s father stated that when his spouse confirmed him a picture of the shooter within the information, he agreed that it seemed like their son. He additionally believed the rifle seemed like a weapon he had gifted his son.

“Tyler, is this you?” Matt Robinson reportedly requested his son when he first noticed the photographs, a regulation enforcement official advised CNN. “This looks like you.”

After his mom agreed that the photographs launched by authorities seemed like him, she and his father referred to as their son, asking what he knew concerning the crime, officers stated.

When his father urged his son to show himself in, the suspect reportedly responded: “I would rather kill myself than turn myself in.”

Robinson’s household satisfied him to speak to a household buddy who was a retired deputy sheriff, in response to the charging doc. The household buddy satisfied Robison to show himself in, partially to keep away from the police having to look his mother and father’ dwelling.