Kirk Assassin Silent With Authorities, Online Messages Show Different Story

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed Sunday that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, is stonewalling investigators despite digital evidence showing he admitted the crime to friends online before his arrest.

“He has not confessed to authorities,” Cox told ABC News’s This Week. “He is not cooperating, but all the people around him are cooperating, and I think that’s very important.”

Robinson was taken into FBI custody Thursday night after a 33-hour manhunt. Authorities say he hinted to a family member that he was responsible, which ultimately led law enforcement to his location.

Cox said state investigators are piecing together Robinson’s motives through interviews with relatives and associates. “Forensic evidence will be presented when charges are filed on Tuesday,” the governor confirmed.

The governor also acknowledged Robinson was romantically involved with his live-in roommate, who is transitioning from male to female, and who has reportedly cooperated fully with law enforcement. “We do know that the roommate that we had originally talked about, we can confirm that that roommate is a boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female,” Cox told NBC’s Meet the Press. “So we know that piece. I will say that that person has been very cooperative with authorities.”

While Robinson has refused to answer questions from law enforcement, his private online messages tell a different story.

According to screenshots reviewed by The Washington Post, Robinson confessed inside a private Discord chat with about 30 members on Thursday, just before he surrendered.

“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” Robinson allegedly wrote. “It was me at UVU yesterday. I’m sorry for all of this.”

He followed up: “I’m surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. thanks for all the good times and laughs, you’ve all been so amazing, thank you all for everything.”

The messages were sent roughly two hours before FBI agents arrested him.

Other posts from Robinson’s chat group captured how members reacted as news of Kirk’s assassination broke. “Charlie Kirk got shot,” one user wrote. Another added, “I just saw the video holy s—. Bro didn’t deserve to go out like that sad.”

Discord confirmed it handed Robinson’s private posts over to the FBI but claimed its own review showed “no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.”

Cox said early findings point to a political motive. Robinson, who had clashed with his conservative family, reportedly voiced disdain for Kirk and his beliefs in the days leading up to the shooting. “The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to Sept. 10,” Cox explained. “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. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”

The 31-year-old Kirk, a husband and father of two, was shot dead on Sept. 10 while delivering remarks at Utah Valley University as part of TPUSA’s “American Comeback Tour.” His assassination has ignited a nationwide conversation about escalating left-wing extremism and political violence.

With Robinson refusing to speak to authorities, investigators are now focusing on his family, his close circle, and his digital trail to understand what drove him to commit a crime that has shaken the conservative movement and the country at large.