A 22-year-old man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk appears to have admitted responsibility in a private Discord chat shortly before surrendering to authorities, according to screenshots and officials.
Screenshots and accounts reviewed by reporters show that an account belonging to Tyler Robinson posted a brief message in a private Discord group the night he was arrested: “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all … It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this,” the message read. Two people familiar with the exchange and copies of the messages provided to reporters say the post appeared roughly two hours before Robinson was taken into custody.
Discord has provided copies of the messages to law enforcement and says it is cooperating with the FBI and local authorities; the company also told reporters that an internal review found no evidence the suspect planned or promoted violence on the platform.
Authorities say Robinson was arrested after a multi-day manhunt and that members of his family alerted law enforcement; officials continue to investigate motive and whether others were involved. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has said investigators believe Robinson held “leftist ideology,” but investigators have not publicly established a clear motive.
Investigators have also reported physical evidence tying the suspect to the scene; FBI Director Kash Patel said DNA and other forensic traces linked the suspect to items found with the weapon. Prosecutors were preparing to file charges, including a possible capital murder count, ahead of the suspect’s first court appearance.
Family, friends and online group members reacted with shock after the messages surfaced; one friend who saw the posts asked the chat to pray for Robinson and for Kirk’s family as the investigation continued. Officials and platforms say they are working to determine whether the killing was an isolated act or connected to broader online activity.
