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Tyler Robinson ‘hated’ Charlie Kirk; spoke about rifles and escape plan ahead of UVU shooting
Tyler Robinson was identified as the suspect who shot and killed Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday.
Tyler Robinson was identified as the suspect who shot and killed Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday. The 22-year-old, from Washington County, Utah, ‘hated’ the Turning Point USA founder and often spoke about him with family members, officials revealed at a press conference on Friday.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox started off the presser, saying. “We got him.”
“On the evening of September 11, a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident,” Cox added.
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Spoke about Charlie Kirk
Robinson spoke negatively of Kirk, the governor stated. “Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who stated that Robinson had become more political in recent years."
The suspect specifically mentioned Kirk during a family dinner, Cox said.
“In the conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had."
Tyler Robinson also stated that Charlie Kirk ‘was full of hate and spreading hate’.
The New York Post on Friday cited sources to report that it was Robinson's father who turned him in. While Cox confirmed that a family member helped law enforcement to apprehend the suspect, he did not mention his father specifically.
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Discord messages
Governor Cox added that Robinson's roommate showed investigators messages on Discord, where the suspect spoke about retrieving a rifle.
The roommate opened Discord and ‘allowed investigators to take photos of the screen as each message was shown by Robinson’s mate’.
“The content of these included messages affiliated with the contact Tyler, stating a need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel,” Cox noted.
“The messages also refer to engraving bullets and a mention of a scope, and the rifle being unique. Messages from the contact Tyler also mentioned that he had changed outfits."
