E-Paper
Was Tyler Robinson a Groyper? Charlie Kirk shooting suspect being linked to alt-right movement
Tyler Robinson has been arrested as the suspect in the killing of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested on Friday in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. The Utah native emerged as a suspect after the Turning Point USA founder's killing at the Utah Valley University event.
Robinson had become more political in recent years, family members said, and he had recently allegedly criticized Kirk in a conversation. Robinson, who was arrested for aggravated murder and other charges, has no criminal history, as per state records Reuters accessed.
However, internet buzz online is claiming that Robinson is a Groyper. To be sure, these claims are from unverified social media accounts and there is no official statement from authorities about Robinson's political leanings or his motives.
What is a Groyper?
Before getting into why Robinson is being called a Groyper online, here's what the term denotes. A Groyper is a member of a group of alt-right, white nationalist and Christian nationalist activists, who are led by Holocaust-denier Nick Fuentes.
Also Read | Tyler Robinson: 5 things we know about Charlie Kirk shooting suspect
The group derives its name from a cartoon amphibian, which is a variant of the internet meme – Pepe the Frog. Groypers were part of the Jan 6 Capitol Hill attack and the protests leading up to it.
Why Robinson is being linked to Groypers
The buzz about Robinson being a Groyper springs from a photograph of his, where the suspect is seen in a black Adidas tracksuit, crouching. Several handles on X have juxtaposed this image next to one of Pepe the Frog in the Adidas tracksuit, and called Robinson a Groyper.
Grok has explained the link between the two as follows: The "black Adidas hoodie crouching meme" refers to variants of Pepe the Frog (often called "Groyper" in some online communities) depicted squatting in a black Adidas tracksuit, sometimes with a cigarette or beer, embodying a "Slav squat" or "Gopnik" stereotype from Eastern European youth culture. It originated on sites like 4chan and is used in alt-right or ironic memes. The photo in the thread echoes this pose.
Another X user shared that the photo, and added "Tyler Robinson was probably a fan of Nick Fuentes and a member of the so-called "Groyper Army", which had been waging the "Groyper Wars" against mainstream Republicans, including specifically Charlie Kirk and Turning Point USA."
Yet another claimed on X “Tyler Robinson dressed up as a slavic groyper meme for Halloween, this is conclusive enough proof for me that he was a rightwing 4chan incel.”
Despite the online chatter, there is no conclusive proof of Robinson's link to the alt-right group. Authorities have said Robinson had engraved what appeared to be anti-fascist messages on bullet casings they found with the suspected murder weapon. As per voter records, Robinson was a registered voter, but not affiliated to any political party, and was listed as an ‘inactive’ voter – meaning he didn't cast a ballot in last year's presidential election when Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris.
(With Reuters inputs)
