Tyler Robinson-Lance Twiggs's text messages seem ‘staged, not real’; latest release sparks theories

Utah authorities on Tuesday revealed a text message exchange between Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson and his roommate

Published on: Sep 17, 2025, 05:15:04 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Utah authorities on Tuesday revealed a text message exchange between Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson and his roommate, reported as Lance Triggs. The 22-year-old shooter can be seen confessing to the assassination in the messages, admitting that he planned the attack for ‘about a week’.

Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of U.S. conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, appears in court (via REUTERS)

Robinson has been charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors are now seeking the death penalty in the case. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray revealed DNA evidence linking Robinson to the rifle.

According to Gray, Robinson sent a series of text messages to his roommate, who was allegedly romantically involved with him.

“I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it," he wrote. Another message, sent after the shooting, expressed regret that police lockdowns prevented him from recovering his rifle. He also admitted he wished the crime had remained secret until “I died of old age.”

However, now social media users and even some influencers are saying that the messages seem ‘staged’.

“Something about these alleged text messages just don’t sit right with me…,” one person with about 52k followers on X, platform formerly known as Twitter, claimed.

“It doesn’t sound like a natural conversation and seems rehearsed. Also, Robinson mentioned engraving the bullets in front of the roommate. Are we really sure the roommate had no idea of his plan?” another one added.

“This entire exchange reads as somebody explaining unnecessary details to try to exonerate the other party. Very weird and unnatural language, as if they knew the texts would be read,” a third one said.

There is no evidence to back these theories. Authorities are yet to address these concerns.

Robinson, 22, is accused of firing a single bullet from a rooftop, fatally hitting Kirk in the neck in front of thousands of people. A huge manhunt ended 33 hours later when Robinson's parents persuaded him to turn himself in after seeing photos of the wanted man.

(With AFP inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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