Texts sent by suspected shooter of Charlie Kirk and to roommate have been published by prosecutors in the US.
Charging documents released by Utah County officials on Tuesday (16 September) suggest that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who is suspected of fatally shooting Kirk, may have been planning the attack for “over a week.”
31-year-old Kirk, known for his right-wing and anti-LGBTQ+ views, was shot in the neck during a crowded open-air debate at Utah Valley University while discussing mass shootings in the US. He later died in hospital.
Robinson was arrested after a two-day-long manhunt. He faces seven charges, including aggravated murder, which can carry the death penalty in Utah.
In text messages between Robinson and his roommate, who prosecutors claim had been in a romantic relationship, the suspected shooter said he left a note under a computer keyboard, which read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
“I am, I’m sorry,” Robinson responded, saying he had “hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age.”
The roommate, who was unaware of Robinson’s alleged plans, asked if he was “joking” and wrote: “You weren’t the one who did it, right?”
Robinson responded, saying that he had “had enough” of Charlie Kirk’s “hatred” and that he believed “some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
“If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it,” he went on.
Asked how long he had been “planning this,” Robinson responded: “A bit over a week, I believe.”
Alleged gunman upset over losing ‘$2k scope’, messages suggest
In a series of messages with no reply, the alleged gunman said he had tried to grab his “Grandpa’s rifle” over fears of what “my old man would do” if he didn’t bring it back.
“[I don’t even know] if it had a serial number, but it wouldn’t trace to me,” he said. “Judging from today I’d say Grandpa’s gun does just fine [I don’t know]. I think that was a $2k scope.”
Some time later, Robinson told his roommate to delete the exchange, saying his dad “wants photos of the rifle.”
“The feds released a photo of the rifle, and it is very unique,” he wrote. “He’s calling me [right now], not answering.”
Investigators said his father recognised Robinson from images released during a 33-hour manhunt and confronted his son. He later talked to a youth pastor, who called the police.
After another string of text messages remarking that his Dad was “pretty diehard MAGA,” Robinson said he was prepared to turn himself in.
“You are all I worry about, love,” he said, to which the roommate responded: “I’m much more worried about you.”
The roommate handed the investigating officers the text messages and the note found under the keyboard, according to police. Court filings, which included the messages, were unusually focused on the roommate’s gender identity and routinely misgendered them.
Robinson appeared in court via video link from Utah County jail for his first hearing since the arrest. He was wearing a green vest designed to prevent self-harm and did not appear to have legal representation, according to Sky News.
Prosecutors said following the hearing that they aim to seek the death penalty for Robinson, with Utah County attorney Jeff Gray saying, “I do not take this decision lightly.”
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