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Charges against the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Tyler Robinson, 22, will be announced at noon, Tuesday.
Robinson is expected to appear in Utah’s 4th District Court at 3 p.m. MDT, located in Provo, Utah.
Kirk was shot and killed during a “Prove Me Wrong” debate at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. Robinson allegedly shot Kirk from the roof of the Losee Center, a building next to the grassy amphitheater at UVU where Kirk was interacting with 3,000 students and visitors.
Robinson was apprehended at approximately 10 p.m. in Washington City, Utah, on Thursday night, after a statewide manhunt was carried out.
Speculation of accomplices
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino told Fox News that some people may have known in advance of Robinson’s plans to murder Charlie Kirk.
“If this was a larger effort, if there was any aiding and abetting, whether it be financial or someone who knew the specifics of it and failed to report that, we’re looking into that,” Bongino said, Monday. “There’s not going to be a stone left unturned.”
The FBI is using subpoenas to investigate if Robinson had an “extended network.”
From Robinson’s digital footprint, it has been clear that his “ideology had infected him,” and “he was intent on making Charlie his target,” Bongino said. He added, “People may have known in advance.”
Just two hours before Robinson was placed in custody on Thursday night, he allegedly sent a message to a private Discord group chat confessing he shot and killed Kirk, per screenshots obtained by The Washington Post.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday morning, FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is investigating Kirk’s assassination “fully and completely.”
“We’re also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat,” Patel said, noting there were many more than 20 participants.
“We’re running them all down,” he said, “every single one.”
The final question Kirk answered before being shot was about transgender shooters. Regarding the man who had asked the question, Bongino told Fox News, “I don’t want to say conclusively right now if there was a connection or not. It’s not terribly uncommon for [Kirk] to get questions like that. However, we are looking into that.”
“There appear to have been multiple warning signs” about Robinson going off the deep end, Bongino said. “There were people in his network, friends and family who had stated that he had become more political.”
Officials have so far been tight-lipped about divulging what exactly put Robinson over the edge regarding Kirk, but Bongino described the suspect as having “some obsession” with him based on his “digital footprints” — calling the assassination “an ideologically motivated attack.”
Arrested at the scene, 71-year-old George Zinn handed felonies
George Zinn, who was taken into custody from Utah Valley University campus following Kirk’s assassination, is currently being held in Utah County Jail for felony charges.
His charges include second felony obstruction of justice and four counts of second felony sexual exploitation of a minor.
Zinn was initially unwilling to cooperate with law enforcement, until he was sent to a local hospital, per a press release obtained by the Deseret News by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
While at the hospital, Zinn agreed to speak with an FBI agent and an agent from the Utah State Bureau of Investigation regarding his involvement in Kirk’s murder.
“Zinn admitted that he had yelled that he was the shooter to allow the actual suspect to flee and to hinder Law Enforcement,” according to the press release. He also allowed agents to view his phone and admitted “that he uses his phone to view and abuse Child Sex Abuse Material and there may be some images on his phone. Those Agents did see several images on the phone of prepubescent girls scantily dressed.”
Evidence mounts against Robinson, FBI said
FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News on Monday morning that three objects connected to Kirk’s murder have been connected to Robinson as well. They include:
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A screwdriver found on UVU’s roof containing Robinson’s DNA.
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The towel the firearm was wrapped in containing Robinson’s DNA.
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A note written by Robinson before the killing.
He also said that further evidence connecting Robinson is being exposed in his digital footprint.
“The evidence and information will come out, I won’t stylize the evidence,” he said, “but I will say what was found in terms of information [was] a text message exchange where he, the suspect, specifically stated that he had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do that.”
“And when he was asked why, he said some hatred cannot be negotiated with.”
AG Pam Bondi criticizes Left ‘hate speech’
Early Tuesday morning, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on social media condemning hate speech, and accused the political left of normalizing dangerous rhetoric.
“You cannot call for someone’s murder. You cannot swat a Member of Congress. You cannot dox a conservative family and think it will be brushed off as ‘free speech.’ These acts are punishable crimes, and every single threat will be met with the full force of the law,” Bondi wrote.
She added, “It is clear this violent rhetoric is designed to silence others from voicing conservative ideals. We will never be silenced. Not for our families, not for our freedoms, and never for Charlie. His legacy will not be erased by fear or intimidation.”
Patel: More than 20 people on Robinson Discord chat
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday morning, FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is investigating Kirk’s assassination “fully and completely.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., asked Patel if he could give any more information, other than what he’s already shared publicly, on how the FBI is finding other potential accomplices or people who have known or even encouraged him.
Patel emphasized the FBI’s immediate work interviewing those close to the suspect — family and friends — but also, he said, they are looking at his conversations on Discord, the online chat platform for gamers, where the private chat occurred. He said the evidence found will potentially be used in the prosecution against Robinson.
“We’re also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat,” Patel said. Hawley then clarified how many people were on the chat, to which Patel noted that it is a lot more than 20.
“It’s a lot more than that and we’re running them all down,” he said, “every single one.”
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