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  • Arnold Schwarzenegger warns America is approaching democracy ‘cliff’ after Charlie Kirk assassination

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    Arnold Schwarzenegger shared his fears about the future of democracy as he reflected on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. 

    On Monday, the 78-year-old actor and former Republican governor of California joined the University of Southern California’s interim President Beong-Soo Kim for a live discussion as part of USC’s International Day of Democracy celebrations. 

    During their conversation, before an audience of university students and faculty members, Kim asked Schwarzenegger about his reaction to the murder of the conservative activist on a Utah university campus last week. 

    CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, JOSH DUHAMEL, JILLIAN MICHAELS DENOUNCE POLITICAL VIOLENCE

    “I was very, very upset that someone’s life was taken because they have a different opinion. It’s just unbelievable,” Schwarzenegger said in a clip from the event he shared on X Tuesday. 

    “This was a great communicator, a great advocate for the right — for Republican causes. He had such a great way of communicating with the students that agreed or disagreed with him.

    Arnold Schwarzenegger warned about threats to democracy after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.  (Getty Images)

    “It’s a human being. A human life is gone,” the actor continued. “And he was a great father, a great husband. I was thinking about his children. They will only be reading about him now, instead of him reading to them bedtime stories.”

    Kirk was hosting a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University Sept. 10 when he was assassinated. On Tuesday, Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting Kirk, was formally charged with aggravated murder and felony discharge of a firearm causing bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and one count of committing a violent offense in front of children. 

    Robinson, who was arrested Sept. 12 in Utah, will remain in custody without bail. Prosecutors have confirmed they will seek the death penalty in the case. 

    While speaking at the A Democracy Day Dialogue event, Schwarzenegger said he was “shocked” when he saw the news of Kirk’s assassination. He noted that, since the tragedy, there have been an “endless amount” of debates about how to stop political violence in the United States. 

    “We have to acknowledge that the cause of all of this is the social media companies that are dividing us, the mainstream media companies that are dividing us,” Schwarzenegger said. 

    “The political parties — the Democrats that are dividing us, the Republicans that are dividing us,” he continued. “We’re getting hit from so many different angles, and we have to be very careful that we don’t get closer to that cliff. Because when you fall down that cliff — down there, there is no democracy.

    Charlie Kirk in October 2024.

    Kirk was assassinated while hosting a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University Sept. 10. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)

    “We have to be very, very careful,” Schwarzenegger warned. “I think it is very important that we turn this around and that we show people power. Because the people can turn this around. The people have the ultimate power.

    “And, so, this is why I recommend very strongly that people who say, ‘Well, what can I do? I’m just an individual.’ Each and every one of you in here can make a difference.”

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    Addressing the crowd, “The Terminator” star called on USC student members of Democratic and Republican clubs to unite and show leadership. 

    Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opposes moves in his home state of California and in Texas to implement mid-decade congressional redistricting

    Schwarzenegger urged university students to unite across party lines.  (Tristar Media/WireImage)

    “Imagine that you get together, and you start having communications together and solving problems together. You will have the media turn out in no time and cover that story,” Schwarzenegger said. “And you will be an example for the rest of the nation and for all universities, how you get together, how you not see the other side as the enemy. Or to fight fire with fire, like they’re saying today. Or to declare war on each other, as they’re saying today.

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    “You can show leadership together and be this example. Because, remember, the people power is the ultimate power. That’s what democracy is all about,” he said. “So use that power.

    “Show to the country and to the world that we can do it.” 

    Arnold Schwarzenegger

    The actor emphasized that people have the “ultimate power” to “turn this around.”  (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

    In the caption of his X post, Schwarzenegger, who was one of the first celebrities to publicly react after Kirk’s death, praised the crowd at the USC event.

    “There’s something more important than my message in this video. It’s what you don’t hear. No heckling. No disrespect. No shouting,” he wrote. 

    “I know that social media shows us the worst of humanity, and a few people celebrating a death will get more attention than hundreds of respectful people,” Schwarzenegger continued. “Don’t let these companies and the rage influencers that profit from them convince you the worst of us are the most of us.

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    “They are a tiny minority that gets too much attention because anger makes you post, repost and like. This was an audience of almost 500 students and zero disrespect. That’s how most of the real world outside of the internet is. If you find yourself falling for the anger, go out in the real world and make yourself human again.”

    Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to ashley.hume@fox.com and on Twitter: @ashleyhume

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  • Suspect left note saying he planned to kill Charlie Kirk, later confessed in texts, prosecutor says

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    Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.”The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.”That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”Parents said their son became more politicalWhile authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete textsRobinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyoneFBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.”We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

    PROVO, Utah —

    Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”

    DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

    The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.

    “The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.

    Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

    Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

    FBI

    Tyler Robinson, suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination

    Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?

    Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

    Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.

    The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.

    “That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.

    Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.

    Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”

    Parents said their son became more political

    While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.

    Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.

    Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.

    Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

    The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

    Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.

    Robinson detailed movements after the shooting

    In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”

    Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”

    He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.

    “To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.

    Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete texts

    Robinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.

    Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

    He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.

    Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyone

    FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.

    “We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.

    The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.

    Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.

    Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.

    In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.

    Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.

    ___

    Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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  • Largest student vigil held on the campus where Charlie Kirk got his start

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    TEMPE, Ariz. — Students at Arizona State University, the birthplace of Turning Point USA, honored the late Charlie Kirk in a memorial ceremony on Monday evening.

    Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Kirk, made his first court appearance on Tuesday.

    People across the world are grieving, holding vigils in cities and countries Kirk had never even visited.

    The service at Desert Financial Arena, which attracted about 9,000 people, became “the largest student organized vigil in the country,” Troy Holderby, the president of ASU College Republicans, told the Deseret News the next morning. He credited Turning Point USA for logistical help.

    Dan Beazley, of Northville, Mich., stood outside the stadium with his 10-foot cross ahead of the vigil, offering attendees prayers, as he had the day before, outside the TPUSA headquarters. He leaned on the cross, guarding his sunburnt face.

    Scenes from vigil at the ASU

    Inside, after the national anthem and prayers led by a pastor, a group of students brought candles and placed them under Kirk’s photograph on stage. Holderby offered his remarks onstage Monday evening.

    “If you are mad about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, good. Share the Gospel of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” said Holderby said on stage.

    “We can forgive his shooter, which is a difficult thing to do. We can forgive the people who celebrate his death, which is equally difficult, but forevermore, we must work with this week in mind. Work,” Holderby concluded before offering a prayer.

    The students in the sea of ‘Make America Great Again’ hats that bore the Turning Point logo on the side cheered, cried and prayed alongside more than a dozen speakers, including many TPUSA employees. The most notable of them was Tyler Bowyer, the chief operating officer of TPUSA Action.

    “If this crazy, left-wing radicalization is happening in Utah, it’s happening everywhere,” said Bowyer. “This isn’t a both sides problem. This is very clearly a one-sided problem.”

    He spoke about TPUSA’s early days, when Kirk and Bowyer met and Bowyer agreed to take “a subminimum minimum wage job” at TPUSA. Bowyer served as the chairman of the Maricopa County Republican Committee at the time.

    They would sit at a table on the ASU campus and face off against the harassers passing by. He recalled the university mascot, Sparky, posing with a TPUSA sign, “Big Government Sucks More Than Wildcats,” in 2018, while pointing to another version of the signage placed between two photos of Kirk on stage.

    The picture of Sparky went viral. University President Michael Crow called TPUSA to get the photo taken down.

    “We said no,” Bowyer said, earning loud cheers.

    TPUSA wants students to turn action into activism.

    He reminisced about hosting the first ever Trump rally a few blocks away from the arena, campaigning for President Donald Trump, hosting conversations about faith and conferences for conservatives and helping Trump win the swing state of Arizona by 5.5% last year.

    “I would trade in everything, everything that we spent all those years building at Turning Point just to have Charlie back,” Bowyer confessed.

    “But you know what? Charlie Kirk wouldn’t do that,” Bowyer said, again urging students to convert their pain into activism.

    Carson Carpenter, a former president of the College Republicans, attended the vigil to pay his respects.

    “It was refreshing to see the revitalized faith in action, wearing your heart on your sleeve and coming together peacefully,” he added.

    In a post on X, Bowyer said that since Kirk’s passing, TPUSA and TP Action received about 27,000 leads from college students interested in joining or starting a chapter and a similar number from high schoolers.

    The organizations also sold 15,000 tickets for the upcoming AmericaFest in Phoenix and half a million items of merchandise.

    Sierra Place, a sign language teacher at a high school in the valley and a recent graduate of ASU, said she believes “It’s a great revival.”

    She wasn’t sure what to expect from the evening but felt inspired and looked forward to attending church a lot more.

    “A lot of churches forget about the deaf community,” she said. “I’m hoping to support Turning Point in that area.”

    “We know that Jesus is king,” said Place, “and if we all can come together to talk about that, then there’s nothing we can’t do.”

    A mix-up with ASU

    Last Friday, ASU’s Turning Point Chapter and College Republicans group alleged the university refused to work with students to host the memorial service.

    The students requested a “place on campus to hold a peaceful prayer service,” according to the statement from Holderby, the president of ASU College Republicans.

    “Unfortunately, senior administration at ASU has been thus far totally unworkable,” Holderby said, accusing the university of forcing students to use a venue 15 times larger than requested and saddling the volunteer-led student club with the bill for security.

    Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman accused ASU of sabotaging the event and other conservatives echoed these concerns. Hoffman’s remarks came at a time when political tensions were running high. News headlines showed people losing their employment or educational placements over inappropriate comments related to Kirk’s death.

    But by Saturday, the student group announced it reached the desired terms with the university. The venue was changed from the outdoor Hayden Lawn to the multipurpose arena, which holds up to 15,000 people.

    According to one report, the misunderstanding was resolved after the university clarified that the student groups will not incur any administrative or security expenses.

    Charlie Kirk’s funeral in Phoenix

    Other speakers included Philosophy professor Dr. Owen Anderson, who serves as a faculty adviser for TPUSA at ASU, Jack Posobiec, conservative internet personality, and Anthony Watson, former Olympian and Turning Point contributor.

    Last week, Vice President JD Vance traveled from Utah to Arizona to bring Kirk’s remains home. He and his wife Usha Vance escorted the casket along with Kirk’s wife Erika Kirk.

    Kirk’s funeral will be held at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday. The stadium, home to NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, is one of the largest venues in the state.

    President Donald Trump is expected to attend as are Vance and other high-level federal officials.

    “We lost a great person,” Trump said. “I’ll be going on early Sunday morning, going to Arizona, taking some people with us on Air Force One.”

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  • GOP lawmaker wants to rename Loop 202 after Charlie Kirk

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    At some point in the future, Valley commuters traveling from the east Valley into Phoenix may have to get used to new nomenclature. If Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen gets his way, Loop 202 will be named after slain conservative activist and Arizona resident Charlie Kirk…

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    Morgan Fischer

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  • Suspect in Charlie Kirk’s killing confessed in a text exchange with his roommate, prosecutor says

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    The man charged with murder in the slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem last week admitted in a text message to his roommate on the day of the shooting that he had committed the crime, courts documents allege. 

    According to a criminal information document filed Tuesday by Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray, the roommate of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson questioned him about the incident in a text message exchange on Wednesday, Sept. 10, after the shooting had occurred earlier that day.

    Prosecutors said Robinson first texted his roommate, whose name has not been released, to “drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard” at the apartment they shared in St. George, a city in southwestern Utah where Robinson is from.

    The roommate found a note under the keyboard that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” the court documents state. Police found a photo of that note, the attorney’s office said. Authorities did not say in the documents if the note itself was destroyed.

    Robinson then texted his roommate that he was “stuck in” Orem “for a little while longer,” the documents state. 

    “Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still,” Robinson wrote in the text exchange that the roommate provided to investigators. 

    The “bolt-action rifle” that is believed to have been used in the shooting was found wrapped in a towel hidden in a wooded area nearby the campus, Gray stated in the court documents.

    “To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age,” Robinson allegedly wrote in a text.  

    When the roommate asked Robinson if he was Kirk’s shooter, Robinson replied, “I am, I’m sorry,” the court documents state.  

    “I thought they caught the person?” the roommate wrote.  

    Robinson allegedly replied that “no, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing,” seemingly in reference to two persons of interest who had been detained by law enforcement in connection with the shooting prior to Robinson’s arrest. 

    One of those people was released, and the second, identified as George Zinn, was charged with obstruction of justice because he falsely claimed to be the shooter, the Utah Department of Public Safety said Tuesday. There was no evidence, however, that Zinn colluded with Robinson, Utah DPS said.

    When his roommate asked why he had carried out the shooting, Robinson responded, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” the court documents state.

    In the text exchange, Robinson allegedly repeatedly expressed concern about whether he will be able to retrieve the hidden rifle, which he indicated originally belonged to his grandfather. 

    “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down,” Robinson wrote, according to the court documents.

    He texts that he’s “worried what” his father “would do if I didn’t bring back grandpas rifle.” He also says he’s unsure if the rifle has a serial number, but that he doesn’t believe it would be traced to him regardless, according to the court documents.

    “I worry about prints I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits,” Robinson allegedy wrote. “I didn’t have the ability or time to bring it with. … I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints.”

    When asked by his roommate how long he had planned the attack, Robinson replied, “a bit over a week I believe,” documents state. 

    He allegedly later asks his roommate to “delete this exchange” and avoid speaking to the media. He also writes that “Im gonna turn myself in willingly.”

    According to the court documents, Robinson’s parents recognized their son from the surveillance photos released of the shooting, and eventually his father was able to convince Robinson to come to their St. George home, and with the help of a family friend, surrender to authorities on Friday, Sept. 12.  

    According to the documents, Robinson’s mother told investigators that her son had started dating his roommate, whom she said was transitioning from male to female. Two law enforcement sources told CBS News over the weekend that Robinson’s roommate was cooperating with investigators and is not expected to be charged at this point. 

    Robinson, who authorities allege shot Kirk from the roof of a campus building before fleeing — sparking a two-day manhunt, appeared virtually Tuesday in his first court appearance. He is charged with one count each of aggravated murder and felony discharge of a firearm, and two counts each of obstruction of justice and witness tampering. He also faces one misdemeanor count of committing a violent offense in the presence of a child. 

    Following Robinson’s initial court appearance, the state of Utah filed its intent to seek the death penalty.

    A spokesperson for Discord also confirmed to CBS News on Monday that Robinson appeared to admit to committing the shooting in messages posted to the social media platform last week. 

    Faris Tanyos

    Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.

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  • Suspect left note saying he planned to kill Charlie Kirk, later confessed in texts, prosecutor says

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    Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.”The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.”That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”Parents said their son became more politicalWhile authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete textsRobinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyoneFBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.”We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

    PROVO, Utah —

    Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”

    DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

    The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.

    “The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.

    Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

    Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and appointed an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

    FBI

    Tyler Robinson, suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination

    Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?

    Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

    Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.

    The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.

    “That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.

    Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.

    Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”

    Parents said their son became more political

    While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.

    Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.

    Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.

    Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

    The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

    Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles southwest of where the shooting happened.

    Robinson detailed movements after the shooting

    In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”

    Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”

    He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.

    “To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.

    Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete texts

    Robinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.

    Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

    He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.

    Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyone

    FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.

    “We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.

    The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.

    Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.

    Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.

    In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.

    Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.

    ___

    Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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  • Prosecutors seeking death penalty in Charlie Kirk murder. What is the law in Utah?

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    Prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty in the case against the man accused of killing conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.

    Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray called the murder of Kirk “an American tragedy” Tuesday in a press conference announcing aggravated murder and other charges against 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson.

    In Utah, aggravated murder is the only crime subject to the death penalty. The law contains a list of circumstances under which prosecutors could charge a person with that offense including, “the murderer knowingly created a great risk of death to a person other than the victim and the murderer.”

    The aggravated murder charge against Robinson reads he “intentionally or knowingly caused the death of Charlie Kirk under the following circumstance: The defendant knowingly created a great risk of death to another individual other than Charlie Kirk and the defendant,” according to court documents.

    Charlie Kirk hands out hats before he was shot during Turning Point USA’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News

    Robinson allegedly fatally shot Kirk with a high-powered rifle from a rooftop as he spoke at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University last Wednesday.

    Gray filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty Tuesday after Robinson made his first court appearance.

    “I do not take this decision lightly and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” he said.

    Gray said he was not pressured by either the Trump administration or Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s office to seek the death penalty.

    Utah capital punishment law

    Robinson First Appearance_SGW_01134 copy.jpg

    Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, appears by camera before Judge Tony Graf in Utah’s 4th District Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, for his initial appearance in Provo, Utah. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

    Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in Utah but firing squad is an alternative method. Executions are carried out at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City.

    In 2004, Utah removed the right of the condemned to choose the method of execution and left lethal injection as the only option. But in 2015, the state restored the firing squad as a legal means of execution if it’s unable to obtain the necessary lethal injection drugs within 30 days of a scheduled execution.

    Because the law was not retroactive, death-row inmates who chose the firing squad before February 2004 are still to be executed in that manner.

    In 2022, two Republican state lawmakers sought to abolish the death penalty in Utah, but the bill failed to advance out of a House committee.

    Utah prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty less frequently. There are only two active capital cases in the state, both involving men accused of killing police officers.

    Executions in Utah

    Convicted killer Ralph Menzies, who has dementia, was scheduled to die by firing squad on Sept. 5. But the Utah Supreme Court vacated his death warrant, ruling that the district court erred by not allowing him a new competency hearing.

    Utah was the first state to execute someone after the United States reinstated capital punishment in 1976. A firing squad shot convicted killer Gary Gilmore on Jan. 17, 1977 at the Utah State Prison.

    Since then, the state has executed seven men; the last one was Taberon Honie on Aug. 8, 2024. There are currently four men on death row in the state. The average length of stay on death row is about 34 years.

    Utah is one of only three states to have ever carried out executions by firing squad and one of only two to do so after the moratorium on capital punishment ended, the other being South Carolina.

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  • Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing makes first court appearance

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    Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing makes first court appearance – CBS News










































    Watch CBS News



    The suspect in Charlie Kirk’s assassination appeared virtually for his first court appearance in Utah on Tuesday. CBS News justice correspondent Scott MacFarlane and former federal prosecutor Scott Fredericksen join with analysis.

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  • Joe Burrow’s foundation severs ties with Ohio judge over comments celebrating Charlie Kirk’s killing

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    The Joe Burrow Foundation has severed ties with Hamilton County Municipal Judge Ted Berry after the Ohio judge allegedly made celebratory comments on social media about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

    The foundation, founded by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, released a statement Friday announcing that it had “terminated” a member of its advisory board. 

    Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals looks to pass during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

    “The Joe Burrow Foundation was founded on the belief that everyone has the responsibility to do good. We have terminated an advisory board member that made inappropriate remarks in light of recent events and they are no longer associated with the Foundation,” the statement read. 

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    “Their comments do not reflect our values or our mission. We are committed to accountability and respect for all.” 

    Berry was listed as a member of the advisory board previously on the foundation’s website. The statement did not name Berry or directly reference Kirk’s killing. Fox News Digital reached out to the organization for a statement to clarify whether Berry was the member terminated. 

    Ohio State Rep. Adam Mathews shared the foundation’s statement on social media, and confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday that Berry was the advisory board member terminated by the foundation. The Republican lawmaker previously released a statement calling for the judge’s resignation following social media comments that Mathews said celebrated Kirk’s killing “with vitriolic, racially charged and political language.”

    Charlie-Kirk-Shot-Utah

    Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event Thursday in Utah. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via Reuters)

    CUBS HONOR ‘LIFELONG’ FAN CHARLIE KIRK WITH ‘MOMENT OF REFLECTION’ AFTER UTAH ASSASSINATION

    “A judge must be a pillar of fairness and impartiality in our community,” Mathews said. “To see a sitting judge post comments like ‘Rest in Hatred & Division!’, ask ‘How’s he feel about gun violence & gun control in Hell, now?’, and then celebrate the race of the killer by stating ‘So, a white guy killed him! Color it KARMA!’ is shocking and completely unacceptable.”

    He continued, “This is not the conduct of a neutral arbiter of the law; it is the behavior of a political activist who has abandoned the core principles of his office.”

    Mathews warned that if Berry did not resign from his position, he would file a formal grievance with the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel. 

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    Berry, who is due to retire in January 2026, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he does not “condone any type of violence on any human being.” 

    “I regret if I caused division,” he continued. “That was not my intent. And I hope there can be peace.”

    Charlie Kirk memorial in Berlin

    Memorials honoring Charlie Kirk have been held across the country and overseas, including in Berlin. Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025 ( Ilkin Eskipehlivan /Anadolu via Getty Images)

    Berry could not be reached by Fox News Digital for comment. Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair Alex Linser told FOX 19 that in response to Berry’s “disappointing and divisive comments,” the judge would not be recognized at an upcoming judicial event. 

    In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mathews commended Linser for his response and renewed calls for the judge’s resignation. 

    “As a follow up, I am pleased to see fellow attorney and Chairman of the Democratic Party Alex Linser speak out against Ted Berry’s behavior and stripping Berry out of their upcoming fundraising celebration of judges. It’s the right decision. The bipartisan condemnation of his horrific and racist language is proof that we can come together. Ted Berry must resign.”

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  • ‘I’ve Had Enough’: Authorities Say Charlie Kirk Suspect Confessed to Partner

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    Photo: Chet Strange/Getty Images

    On Tuesday, the Utah County Attorney’s Office charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder in the shooting of conservative activist and broadcaster Charlie Kirk. During the press conference announcing the charges, Utah County attorney Jeff Gray also provided some new details in the aftermath of the attack, including texts in which Robinson confessed to the killing to his roommate, who was also his romantic partner. (Robinson has not confessed directly to law enforcement that he was the shooter.)

    Robinson was arraigned virtually on Tuesday afternoon and briefly stated his name before the court:

    In the formal charges filed on Tuesday, prosecutors say that Robinson texted with his roommate, a “biological male who was involved in a romantic relationship with Robinson,” per the filing. Last week, Utah governor Spencer Cox said that the roommate was in the process of transitioning from male to female.

    On the day Kirk was shot, Robinson texted the roommate: “Drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.”

    “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” the note under the keyboard read. Robinson’s roommate asked if he was joking.

    “I am still ok my love, but am stuck in orem for a little while longer yet,” Robinson replied, saying that he had to get the rifle from the shooting back.

    “You weren’t the one who did it right????” the roommate asked.

    “I am, I’m sorry,” Robinson replied.

    When asked why he did it, Robinson wrote, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Kirk was vocal in his anti-trans stances, which many have speculated were part of Robinson’s motive.

    Robinson wrote that he had been planning the attack for a little over a week. He also provided some information on the confusing phrases he left behind on shell casings at the scene: “The fuckin messages are mostly a big meme, if I see ‘notices bulge uwu’ on fox new I might have a stroke.”

    Robinson advised his roommate to delete the messages. The roommate did not and handed over the exchange to law enforcement when they were contacted.

    Robinson has been charged with six counts in addition to aggravated murder, including obstruction of justice and witness tampering for allegedly trying to get his roommate to delete the messages. Utah County attorney Jeff Gray announced the state would be seeking the death penalty. He is being held without bail.

    In one of his last texts to his partner, Robinson wrote, “You are all I worry about love.”

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    Matt Stieb

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  • FBI Director Kash Patel faces criticism over response in Charlie Kirk shooting

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    WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel faced tough questions and at-times tense exchanges with Democratic senators on Tuesday during his first congressional appearance since handling the investigation into conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death last week.

    Patel’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled before the shooting at Utah Valley University took place last Wednesday, but his testimony gave lawmakers an opportunity to force him on the record about reported missteps during the high-profile manhunt. Senators specifically pointed to a social media post Patel made on Wednesday evening that the FBI had “the subject” in custody — just to clarify two hours later that person was released and was not the person of interest.

    “Kash Patel sparked mass confusion by incorrectly claiming Charlie Kirk’s assassin was in custody. He had to walk it back,” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in his opening remarks. “Mr. Patel was so anxious to take credit for finding Mr. Kirk’s assassin, that he violated one of the basics of effective law enforcement.”

    Durbin also cited the high-profile departure of Mehtab Syed, the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City FBI Office who was reportedly forced out of her position earlier this year just six months after being appointed.

    Several other Democratic senators criticized Patel for the seemingly premature announcement, arguing it could have compromised the investigation.

    “It turned out that was not true,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said. “In fact, I think it was about 27 hours before the person now in custody was apprehended.”

    Patel defended the move, saying it was part of his job “eliminating subjects” and communicating with the public on the progress of the investigation. However, he acknowledged he “could have been more careful in my verbiage” to state “a subject” rather than “the subject.”

    “I don’t quite get that. Because if we have our man, that would suggest to the public that everybody can rest and relax,” Welch pushed back. “So that was a mistake.”

    When Patel rejected that it was a mistake, Welch interjected: “If you put out a statement that says we have got our man, and in fact it turns out that we don’t, that’s not a mistake?”

    Other Democrats went further, arguing his handling of the investigation — along with his oversight of the Jeffrey Epstein case and other federal inquiries — proved he was unfit for the job.

    “It makes me think we can’t trust you as a nation,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said to Patel. “You claim you have a suspect in a serious assassination. Whoops, then you don’t have a suspect.”

    Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., specifically pressed Patel on Syed’s departure, arguing it left the office “short-handed at a particularly difficult time.”

    “I’m worried that these actions compromise the bureau’s ability to keep Americans safe,” Coons said. “I’m concerned that this compromises the bureau’s ability to address national security risks, uniquely its capability.”

    Patel argued that recent departures within the FBI, including firings, were performance-based only.

    Meanwhile, Republican senators largely commended Patel as well as the FBI and local Utah law enforcement for their work to identify and arrest the suspect in Kirk’s death within 33 hours. During that time, Patel said the FBI received 16,000 submissions to the FBI’s tip lines.

    Patel is scheduled to testify before House lawmakers on Wednesday, where he is likely to hear similar questions about his handling of the Utah investigation as well as other cases.

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  • The perverse incentives for snitch-tagging teachers who criticized Charlie Kirk

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    It’s often said that the First Amendment exists to protect unpopular speech. Benign comments about the weather or statements in support of things everyone already likes aren’t likely to be the subject of government censorship.

    In the case of First Amendment protections for government workers’ off-the-job speech, this dynamic is reversed.

    Public employees have robust protections against being fired for such speech, unless it proves exceptionally unpopular.

    This feature of First Amendment jurisprudence, and the bad incentives it creates for cancel culture campaigns, is on full display following the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk last week.

    In the wake of the conservative influencer’s murder, a lot of people said unkind, uncharitable, and even obscene things about the man, including, in some cases, explicit praise for his assassination.

    In a country where some 22 million civilians are employed by the government, the pool of people who’ve made nasty comments about Kirk naturally includes some public sector workers.

    Public school teachers seem to be overrepresented in this demographic. They’ve become a specific target of conservatives’ cancelation campaigns.

    Unlike most private employees who can be fired at will, government employees have robust protections against being fired for their off-the-job speech.

    As Eugene Volokh detailed in a post at The Volokh Conspiracy shortly after Kirk’s death, government employees can only be disciplined for their speech when that speech is said as part of their job duties, the speech is not a matter of public concern, and the damage of the speech to the government’s own ability to do its job is outweighed by the benefit of the speech.

    Volokh stresses that these protections even cover comments supporting violence, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Rankin v. McPherson, in which a majority of justices ruled that a police department employee’s firing for praising the Ronald Reagan assassination in a private conversation violated the First Amendment.

    The facts of that case would seem to offer a pretty close parallel to public school teachers who praised Kirk’s assassination on social media. Their speech was not made on the job, and speech about Kirk’s assassination is obviously a matter of public concern.

    At first blush, this would suggest that even government employees who explicitly praised Kirk’s assassination have First Amendment protections against being fired for that speech, however distasteful.

    Whether or not they can, in fact, be fired turns on how much their comments disrupt government operations.

    Consequently, the more outrage that can be directed at a particular public worker’s employer, and the more of a headache retaining that worker becomes as a result, the less the First Amendment will protect them from losing their job.

    That creates a powerful, toxic incentive to gin up anger at individual government workers as a means of erasing First Amendment protections they have for off-the-job speech.

    Organic outrage about a public employee’s private statements from people who heard them directly and have to interface with that person is one thing.

    In the case of comments made on social media, people who would never have to deal with a government worker can see their intemperate thoughts and use them to get them fired.

    This encourages Kirk’s supporters to actively go hunting for comments they find offensive. The harm created by those statements becomes almost self-inflicted.

    It’s hard to imagine a better recipe for creating cancel culture mobs.

    Over at National Review, Michael Brendan Dougherty writes that “the critique of cancel culture wasn’t intended to protect all speech from normative judgment, but to preserve the necessary space for democratic deliberation and contestation.”

    Professionally penalizing people for reveling in Kirk’s assassination, he argues, is distinct from going after people for merely expressing a negative view of him.

    That’s a reasonable distinction to draw. But it misses the fact that cancel culture pile-ons are not particularly discerning once they get going. Already, we’re seeing efforts to identify people who literally celebrated Kirk’s death morph into efforts to get people fired for merely posting something critical about him.

    Kirk’s online defenders have snitch-tagged the employers of government workers over social media posts saying they don’t care about the assassination, that they didn’t like Kirk even as they condemn his assassination, and even criticizing Kirk prior to his assassination.

    With enough online outrage, even relatively benign critical comments could potentially become firing offenses.

    This is particularly concerning given that government officials themselves are urging people to be outraged.

    “So, when you see someone celebrating Charlie’s murder, call them out and, hell, call their employer. We don’t believe in political violence, but we do believe in civility,” said Vice President J.D. Vance while guest-hosting Charlie Kirk’s podcast yesterday.

    Texas’ education commissioner has encouraged school superintendents to report teachers’ “inappropriate comments” to state officials, as have the top education officials in Florida and Oklahoma.

    There’s always been the thicker critique of cancel culture made by folks like Reason‘s Robby Soave, who condemned efforts to go hunting for the worst comments made by nonpublic figures in the heat of the moment to their small social media followings.

    It makes for a less vindictive world and more robust discourse when we can agree to avoid massive pile-ons of even repugnant comments made in that context.

    Kirk was undoubtedly a polarizing figure. The strong feelings, both negative and positive, that he elicited in people are one reason his murder has become such a huge public conversation.

    It’s inevitable in that context that some people will say intemperate, mean-spirited things about the man.

    It’s foolish to trust online snitch-taggers to be judicious in determining who they’re going to try to get fired, particularly when the more outrage they can generate serves to route around First Amendment protections for government workers’ speech.

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    Christian Britschgi

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  • Initial Suspect In Charlie Kirk Assassination Faces Obstruction, Child Porn Charges

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    When a shot rang out and Charlie Kirk fell to the ground, police almost immediately detained George Zinn, only to later discover he was a distraction that allowed the real assassin to escape.

    Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was answering students’ questions at Utah Valley University when a single shot rang out on September 10 – ultimately killing him. Video from the scene shows police arresting Zinn, age 71, moments later.

    “Shortly after that shooting occurred, and while people were fleeing the area, Zinn was seen yelling that he had shot Charlie Kirk,” according to a press release from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. 

    Zinn would not speak with investigators, who brought him to the UVU Police Department. He had a “medical issue,” so responders brought him to a local hospital. 

    “While at the Hospital Zinn did freely state that he was not the shooter,” the release reads. “Zinn admitted that he had yelled that he was the shooter to allow the actual suspect to flee and to hinder Law Enforcement.”

    He admitted his role while speaking with agents from the FBI and the Utah State Bureau of Investigation. Officers asked to see Zinn’s phone. Zinn informed the officers that he used the phone to view child sex abuse material and “there may be some images on his phone.” 

    At the time, the agents reportedly found several images on the phone with scantily-clad pre-pubescent girls. Detectives with the sheriff’s office special victims unit took over the investigation of the images on his phone.

    The sheriff’s office investigators obtained a search warrant on September 15 for Zinn’s phone, according to the release. During an initial review of the phone, they found more than 20 images of children between the ages of 5 and 12, “in various stages of undress and sexual posing.” 

    Zinn allegedly told detectives he got “sexual gratification” from the images.

    “There were several very graphic sexual text threads in which Zinn shared the images with other parties,” the release reads.

    The sheriff’s office arrested Zinn and booked him into the Utah County Jail on September 15, according to jail records.

    Zinn faces second-degree felony obstruction of justice and four counts of second-degree felony sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the release. Jail records also show he faces charges for theft and criminal trespass at an “institute of higher education.” 

    “At this time, there is no information that George Zinn actually colluded with the shooter,” the release reads. Law enforcement is still continuing the child pornography investigation.

    The Dallas Express asked officials if they could identify recipients of Zinn’s alleged child pornography, and if Zinn had prior contact with alleged assassin Tyler Robinson or his associates. The Dallas Express did not hear back in time for publication. 

    Zinn was well-known as a local political “gadfly,” according to The Salt Lake Tribune. He faced previous minor arrests for blocking a roadway and trespassing. But in 2013, less than a week after the deadly Boston marathon bombing, he allegedly threatened to plant bombs at the finish line of the Salt Lake City marathon. He was sentenced to two years of probation and mental health treatment.

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  • Watch: Sen. John Kennedy, Kash Patel discuss Charlie Kirk shooting probe, Epstein files

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    During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana asked FBI Director Kash Patel if others were involved in Charlie Kirk’s assassination, whether convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein trafficked minors to others and more.

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  • Charlie Kirk Shooting Suspect Charged as Prosecutor Seeks Death Penalty

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    Utah County prosecutors on Tuesday charged Tyler Robinson in the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, a murder officials say was politically motivated. They intend to seek the death penalty.

    Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced the indictment at a midday news conference, listing charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child. Robinson, 22, is also charged with two counts of obstruction and two counts of witness tampering.

    “Charlie Kirk was murdered while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights,” Gray said. “The bedrock of our democratic republic is the free exchange of ideas in a search for truth, understanding, and a more perfect union.”

    Gray said that the murder was considered an aggravated offense because it was believed to be motivated by the victim’s political expression. On the matter of the death penalty, he added: “I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.”

    Robinson will make his first court appearance at 3 pm MST on Tuesday.

    Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on September 10 while taking questions from students. The cofounder of Turning Point USA, he was credited with galvanizing young conservatives and playing a pivotal role in Donald Trump’s 2024 White House return.

    The shooting sparked chaos on campus, where delayed and contradictory emergency alerts left many students and faculty scrambling in confusion. Vigils for Kirk have since been held in Arizona, New York, and Washington, among other states. Across the US, Kirk’s murder has become both a rallying cry for far-right retribution and fuel for an assault on civil society.

    Investigators claim forensic evidence links Robinson to the shooting, with FBI director Kash Patel telling Fox & Friends that matching DNA was found on a towel wrapped around the rifle and on a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired. Patel also said investigators believe Robinson wrote a note of his alleged intent to kill Kirk, bolstering claims the attack was premeditated.

    An indictment released Tuesday adds vivid details to the allegations. Prosecutors say surveillance footage captured Robinson climbing onto a campus rooftop, lying prone in a “sniper position,” and firing from nearly 160 yards away. Investigators recovered cartridges at the scene with hand-engraved messages, which prosecutors argue points to premeditation and motive.

    Prosecutors also cited interviews with Robinson’s parents and roommate, who said he expressed anger that Kirk “spreads too much hate” and admitted he had “enough of his hatred.” The filing further alleges that Robinson told his roommate to stay silent if approached by police and that children were visible near the stage when Kirk was shot—factors prosecutors say aggravated the seriousness of the crime.

    The indictment recounts an interview with Robinson’s mother, who told investigators her son had grown more political in the past year “and had started to lean more to the left,” the indictment claims, citing “pro-gay” and “trans-rights” views. She described him as becoming increasingly consumed by online debates and grievances, noting his fixation with political topics seemed to intensify in the weeks leading up to the shooting, the indictment says. She added that Robinson had also begun to date his roommate, a transgender woman, adding that his father has “very different political views.”

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    Dell Cameron

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  • Prosecutors will seek death penalty for suspect in killing of Charlie Kirk

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    Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of killing Charlie Kirk with a single shot at Utah Valley University, officials announced Tuesday.

    “I do not take this decision lightly,” Utah County Atty. Jeffrey Gray said during a news conference. “It’s a decision I made independently as county attorney.”

    Robinson has been charged with seven counts, Gray said, including one count of aggravated murder and two counts of obstruction of justice, for allegedly hiding the rifle used in the killing and disposing of his clothes.

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    Robinson is also facing two counts of witness tampering after he allegedly instructed his roommate to delete incriminating texts, and asking them not to talk to investigators if they were questioned by authorities.

    Kirk, 31, was an influential figure in conservative and right-wing circles, winning praise for his views on heated topics, including abortion, immigration and gender identity.

    His death by a single gunshot during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University shocked the nation and has led to vigorous debate over the motivations of his accused killer.

    The FBI said it collected a screwdriver containing Robinson’s DNA on the rooftop of a building at Utah Valley University and a firearm wrapped in a towel that had been discarded in a nearby wooded area. The towel also had Robinson’s DNA on it, FBI Director Kash Patel said, adding that the firearm was still being processed for forensic evidence.

    As Robinson was set to appear in court for the first time, Patel appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he faced harsh questioning and criticism over his handling of the agency and the immediate investigation into Kirk’s killing.

    Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the committee, accused Patel of releasing incorrect information about the shooting in order to take credit for the arrest.

    “Director Patel again sparked mass confusion by incorrectly claiming on social media that the shooter was in custody — which he then had to walk back with another social media post,” Durbin said in his opening remarks. “Mr. Patel was so anxious to take credit for finding Mr. Kirk’s assassin that he violated one of the basics of effective law enforcement: at critical stages of an investigation, shut up and let the professionals do their job.”

    But Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) defended Patel’s handling of the Kirk probe.

    “I’ve seen no reason for the armchair quarterbacks to be criticizing his performance,” Cornyn said. “I mean, it took roughly 33 hours to arrest the killer. And you know, there’s always a certain fog that goes along with emergency situations like this. So I know initially they thought they had their man, but turned out not.”

    During the hearing, Patel said investigators had interviewed numerous people tied to Robinson, including relatives, friends and his partner.

    Patel confirmed Robinson’s partner was transitioning from male to female.

    He added that the source and reasoning behind engravings on the shell casings is still under investigation.

    Officials are still examining whether “anyone was involved as an accomplice.”

    Agents are also interviewing people who interacted with the suspect online, Patel said.

    That includes a Discord chat that seems to have involved more than 20 people moments after the shooting.

    “We’re running them all down,” Patel said.

    The FBI, he said, is “going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat.”

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    Salvador Hernandez, Richard Winton

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  • Watch Live: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect faces formal charges, first court hearing in Utah

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    Patel addresses post about “subject” in Kirk shooting

    The Senate Judiciary Committee asked FBI director Kash Patel on Tuesday about his decision to announce on X — hours after Kirk was killed — that “the subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.”

    The statement sparked confusion, since law enforcement on the ground in Utah said no suspect had been apprehended. Patel later issued a follow-up post saying the subject had been released.

    Patel stood by the comments on Tuesday, saying that the FBI doesn’t only identify “suspects” but also interviews and eliminates “subjects” in investigations.

    “What we had at the time was a subject in custody in relation to this investigation,” Patel said. “So in my commitment to work with the public to help identify subjects and suspects, I put that information out. And then when we interviewed him, I put out the results of that. And could I have been more careful in my verbiage and included ‘a subject’ instead of ‘subject?’ Sure.”

    When Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont said Patel’s handling of the situation “was a mistake,” the FBI director disagreed.

    “I don’t see it as a mistake,” Patel said. “I see it as something, working with the public to identify that there was a subject in custody.”  


     

    Patel says FBI is investigating Discord chat

    FBI director Kash Patel faced questions about the investigation in Kirk’s killing while testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

    Patel told Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri that the FBI is looking into a group chat on the messaging platform Discord that included the suspect in Kirk’s killing. Patel said the FBI is working to preserve the contents of the chat.

    “Unfortunately, it has been leaked that there was a Discord chat … that the suspect participated in. So what we’re doing, we’ve already done is sort of the legal process, not just on Discord, so that the information we gathered is sustained and held in an evidentiary posture that we could use in prosecution should we decide to do so,” he said. “And we’re also going to be investigating anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat.”

    Patel said there were a “lot more” than 20 users involved in the chat. 


    By Kathryn Watson

     

    Suspect appeared to confess to killing on Discord, company says

    Tyler Robinson appeared to take responsibility for shooting Charlie Kirk in messages sent to friends on the chat platform Discord, a company spokesperson said. 

    “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” read a message from an account that allegedly belonged to Robinson, according to the spokesperson and a law enforcement source. “It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this.” 

    Members of the chat also recognized Robinson in images released by the FBI and asked if he was the shooter, according to the law enforcement source. Robinson did not seem to refute the question. In one exchange, the sources said a friend appeared to tease Robinson by quipping that he should avoid McDonald’s — where accused UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione was caught with a manifesto, a gun and a fake ID late last year.

    The account appearing to belong to Robinson responded: “Better also get rid of this manifesto and exact copy rifle I have lying around.”

    The messages, first reported by the Washington Post, were sent toward the end of the manhunt that ended with Robinson in custody late Thursday, Sept. 11. 

    Read more here.


     

    Suspect held in special housing unit of Utah jail

    Tyler Robinson is being held under special watch in a Utah jail, authorities said over the weekend. 

    Robinson “will remain on a special watch status until cleared by mental health, which may take several days,” the Utah County Sheriff said in a statement Sunday. 

    “This is done for various reasons ranging from: the types of crimes you’re booked on, behavioral issues, violent behavior, and/or suicidal comments made during the arrest,” the sheriff’s statement said. “The special housing unit has more close supervision as does our special watch.”

    The sheriff noted that he hadn’t been made aware of any suicidal concerns or comments regarding Robinson.

    Robinson is accused of aggravated murder, which could see him face the death penalty, life in prison without parole, or 25 years to life in prison with parole. He is also accused of obstruction of justice, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail, and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, which carries a penalty of five years to life in prison, according to the Utah County Attorney’s office.

    Read more here.


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  • The 3 Biggest Types of Charlie Kirk Conspiracy Theories Flooding the Internet

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    Conspiracy theories about the death of Charlie Kirk have inundated X, TikTok, and Instagram in recent days. And while crackpot ideas have always followed major world events, there’s no denying that they’re much more common and widespread in the age of social media.

    Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing influencer, was shot and killed Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The graphic killing was captured on video from several angles since many people in the audience were filming his discussion, quickly uploading footage in the immediate aftermath.

    The suspect in the killing, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, turned himself in to authorities late Thursday night local time, according to CNN. But the internet has been flooded with conspiracy theories about Kirk’s death, both before and after Robinson’s arrest.

    FBI Director Kash Patel appeared on Fox & Friends on Monday morning, where he made various claims about the shooting that haven’t been formally presented to a court yet, much less confirmed. But if the broader picture that’s emerging is true—that one man acted alone by firing a rifle from a rooftop—many of the conspiracy theories that have popped up are absolutely ridiculous.

    Below, we’ve got some of the most common categories of conspiracy theories circulating on social media right now.

    ‘AI Wrong Man’ theories

    After the shooting, the FBI released images of the suspect showing him in sunglasses. The screenshots were pixelated and low quality, which led people on X to run them through Grok in an effort to get a better look. The problem is that running images through AI that attempts to upscale them doesn’t give you a better or more accurate image.

    Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer with close ties to the White House, shared three images after screenshots of the suspect were first released by the FBI. One of the three images was the original screenshot. Two others were fake AI-enhanced images, giving her followers the impression that they were legitimate pictures of the man.

    We looked at this problem earlier this month when people on social media were running Donald Trump’s photos through AI. The upscaler gave Trump a gigantic lump on his forehead, leading people to insist he had a serious medical condition. But that’s just what AI does to low-quality images. It will take shadows or creases in a person’s face and distort an image while attempting to make it look clearer.

    We saw something similar happen during the Academy Awards in 2022 when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. The screenshots that people were taking from TV and then blowing up appeared pixelated. To fix that, people ran them through upscalers, and it created what looked like a weird prosthetic on Rock’s face. From there, a conspiracy theory emerged that there was a pad protecting Rock’s face, leading people to insist the whole thing had been planned in advance.

    This is how conspiracy theories take off now, and they’re incredibly predictable. In fact, when Gizmodo saw folks on X running images of the suspect in Kirk’s shooting through Grok, we knew people would inevitably compare those fake images to the real mugshot. And sure enough, that’s exactly what’s happened.

    A TikTok account called Politic Nick posted a video Saturday comparing an AI-manipulated image of the suspect to the mugshot that was released.

    “Okay, these are two different people here,” the creator said. “The mouth is different, the chin is different. The face is shaped different. The nose is sharp on the left. His nose is sharp. His lips are different I mean, come on.”

    That video has racked up 1.4 million views and it’s an incredibly popular sentiment on other platforms like X, where high-profile accounts like Jackson Hinkle and Anastasia Maria Loupis have focused on the mouths in both images. “They think you are stupid,” Loupis tweeted.

    But the reason they look different is that the AI “enhanced” image did not present anyone with a more accurate impression of what the suspect looked like. These tools are not magic and can’t provide you with a better idea of his appearance. All the computer did was extrapolate from the information that was there. And it seems like all the people who’ve grown up on TV shows where investigators can “zoom and enhance” think that’s how it works in real life.

    ‘Just Look Harder’ theories

    Another big bucket of conspiracy theories might best be described as “Just Look Harder” theories. The idea is that if you stare at someone in the background of a video from Kirk’s talk, you’ll discover a conspiracy hiding in plain sight.

    This was a common tactic on X as millions of people were watching the extremely graphic videos of Kirk dying across all the major platforms. In the hours after Kirk was shot, a popular theory emerged that someone standing to Kirk’s right was giving “signals” to some unseen shooter.

    There were clearly no signals, as anyone could see. But the power of suggestion, combined with watching the same horrific events played over and over, convinced a lot of people that perfectly normal behavior (one guy just had a phone in his hand) was somehow suspicious.

    One of the most outlandish claims still circulating on social media is focused on a man who was standing near Kirk during his talk on campus. Val Venis, a former WWE wrestler who went by the name Big Valbowski, has helped share the theory that the unnamed man used something called a “palm gun” that was concealed in his fist as he moved his shirt sleeve to kill Kirk.

    The claim is absurd, and it appears that online dipshits have only gravitated to the idea because the man in the video scratches his arm at the same time that Kirk was shot. That’s seriously all it was, as you can see in the censored clip we’ve got below. There’s no evidence that this man was doing anything but touching his own arm.

    GIF: X with a redaction by Gizmodo to protect the identity of someone who was clearly just touching their own shirt

    One video shared by Venis has over 17 million views on X at the time of this writing. Others from Venis sharing edits of the same incident have several million more. And there’s so clearly nothing there beyond a person touching their own arm and moving their shirt a little bit.

    ‘Everything is Trans’ theories

    Another bucket of conspiracy theories around the death of Charlie Kirk includes the idea that the killing must’ve been perpetrated by someone who is trans. The false idea that trans people are disproportionately represented as killers seems to have roots in a 2023 school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, that killed seven people, including the shooter. The perpetrator in that case was indeed trans, and now X is flooded with claims that a shooter must be trans whenever a new mass shooting makes the news. As Politifact notes, trans people are much more likely to be the victims of violence rather than perpetrators.

    After Kirk was killed, at least three different trans people were falsely blamed for the shooting on X, by Gizmodo’s count. Posts went viral with wild claims about various people who had absolutely nothing to do with Kirk’s death.

    After it became clear that the suspect in this case was a cisgender man, the internet mobs tried to find other trans connections wherever they could. The Wall Street Journal initially reported  reported Thursday that the bullet casings found at the scene were in some way “expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” citing a bulletin from the ATF. And while the newspaper edited the article later in the day to say that such a claim should be treated “with caution,” the damage was done. It turned out there was nothing on the bullet casings that mentioned the trans community.

    It became so ridiculous that The Onion even wrote an article joking about how the suspect once had an Uber driver who was trans. But right-wing political operatives online are still obsessed with the idea that trans people are uniquely dangerous. FBI Director Kash Patel was asked whether Robinson’s roommate was trans and in a relationship with Robinson. Patel, who has a history of spreading conspiracy theories about QAnon and the January 6th insurrection, said that was true without providing any evidence.

    Lots of unexplained questions remain

    It’s easy to understand why conspiracy theories proliferate. Whenever a case unfolds, there are perfectly reasonable questions about facts that may not be known.

    Countless questions remain about a motive for Kirk’s shooting and the potential political affiliation of the suspect. And it seems guaranteed that misinformation and disinformation will continue to run rampant on social media as we learn more. Unfortunately, guys like Kash Patel are not helping the situation as they rush to post on X before all the facts are truly known.

    Patel wrote on the day Kirk was killed that, “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.” But that was premature. The person they had in custody was just an attendee there to hear Kirk speak. And while it’s completely normal for shitposters to spread misinformation far and wide before the facts are known, we now live in a world where that shitposter happens to be the director of the FBI.

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    Matt Novak

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  • Question after Kirk’s murder: Who else knew?

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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:

    • A screwdriver found on UVU’s roof containing Robinson’s DNA.

    • The towel the firearm was wrapped in containing Robinson’s DNA.

    • 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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  • Patel’s Senate Hearing Becomes Shouting Match: Live Updates

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    Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut pressed Patel on whether the White House ever gave him direction on who to fire at the agency. Patel said while the FBI will discuss personnel needs with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget during the budgeting process, personnel decisions are entirely his own.

    “Any termination at the FBI was a decision that I made based on the evidence that I have as director of the FBI, and that’s my job, and I’m not going to shy away from it,” Patel said.

    Blumenthal went on to say that Patel’s testimony confirmed that he did in fact receive direction from the White House, prompting strong pushback from Patel.

    “Do not put words in my mouth. We’re on the record. The White House, like any administration, contacts its agencies on the budgeting process where these personnel and where the mission priorities are. That always happens. If they didn’t do that, they would be abdicating the responsibility to law enforcement,” he said.

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    Intelligencer Staff

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