In a case that has gripped the attention of a nation beyond Utah, prosecutors say text messages handed over by the alleged shooter’s roommate have become pivotal evidence in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced Tuesday that 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson faces seven charges, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. Robinson is being held without bail as the state pursues the death penalty.
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“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said at a press conference. He emphasized both the personal devastation for Kirk’s family and the broader implications for free speech, calling the shooting “an offense against the state and to the peace and enjoyment of the people of Utah.”
A confession by text
According to Gray, Robinson’s romantic partner and roommate provided investigators with text messages that prosecutors say read like a confession. Robinson’s conservative mother told police that her son’s roommate is trans. "She stated that Robinson began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders,” Gray said. That detail has already been spotlighted in conservative coverage.
In one text exchange, Robinson reportedly directed his roommate to check under a keyboard, where a handwritten note was discovered: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.”
The roommate appeared incredulous, according to the read text messages. The roommate messaged back in disbelief: “What???????? You’re joking, right???”
Robinson responded: “I am still ok my love, but I’m stuck in Orem a little while longer. I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I’m sorry to involve you.”
The roommate pressed further: “You weren’t the one who did it, right?”
“I am. I’m sorry,” Robinson allegedly replied. When the roommate said they thought police had caught someone else, Robinson wrote: “No. They grabbed some crazy old dude in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point, but most of that side of town got locked down.”
Planning, fear, and memes
The back-and-forth continued as Robinson detailed his fears about the weapon he had allegedly abandoned.
Asked why he carried out the attack, Robinson wrote: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
The roommate then asked: “How long have you been planning this?”
Robinson responded: “Over a week, I believe. I can get close to it, but there’s a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t want to chance it.”
He fretted about losing the gun, which he described as his grandfather’s: “How the f— will I explain losing it to my old man?”
In one striking message, Robinson referenced the bullet casings he had engraved with internet slang and memes: “Remember how I was engraving bullets? The f—ing messages are mostly a big meme. If I see ‘notice bulge OwO’ on Fox News I might have a stroke.”
Later, he added, “Judging from today, I’d say grandpa’s gun does just fine. That 2k dollar scope, wink wink.”
Robinson then allegedly wrote, "Delete this exchange again… Don’t talk to the media. Don’t take interviews. If police ask questions, ask for a lawyer and stay silent.”
Related: Wall Street Journal quietly walks back false claim Charlie Kirk shooter had pro-trans messages on his bullets
The roommate did not destroy the evidence. Prosecutors say the combination of those texts, a photographed note, and forensic evidence from the rifle ties Robinson directly to the killing.
"Kash Patel’s FBI has been trying to smear Tyler Robinson’s trans roommate for the shooting of Charlie Kirk," wrote Ari Drennen of Media Matters. "But they knew the whole time that she was as shocked and horrified as the rest of us."
The shooting at UVU
Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. Known for his combative “prove me wrong” campus events, Kirk had been answering a question about mass shootings when a single rifle shot pierced his neck. He collapsed in front of a crowd of several hundred, including children.
Authorities allege Robinson scaled a campus walkway to reach a rooftop sniper position, fired the fatal round, and fled. Investigators later recovered the rifle wrapped in a towel. The weapon bore etched internet meme phrases, details that fueled sensational headlines across right-wing media.
Robinson surrendered the following evening after his parents, alarmed by police images released to the public, confronted him at home, Gray said.
Media narratives and scapegoating
The case has since become a flashpoint in a broader culture war. Conservative outlets, including the New York Post, have emphasized Robinson’s relationship with a transgender roommate, casting the shooting as part of a supposed trend of “trans shooters.” Media watchdogs and LGBTQ+ advocates argue that framing is both misleading and stigmatizing.
At Tuesday’s press conference, a Fox News reporter pressed Gray. “Do you have any indication that transgender issues played a role in the motivations for this?” the reporter asked.
Gray declined to endorse that narrative. “I’m going to stick to what I just stated in my public… our information, I think that is pretty much set forth there,” he said.
Utah officials have previously cautioned against conflating the alleged shooter’s identity with broader ideology, noting that the bizarre bullet engravings do not amount to a coherent manifesto.
Advocates warn that fixating on transgender identity in such cases follows a troubling pattern. GLAAD and the National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists have criticized such coverage, warning that it fuels stigma and distracts from systemic issues such as political extremism, easy access to firearms, and inflammatory rhetoric from public figures.
Gray acknowledged the weight of the proceedings but stressed that Robinson remains presumed innocent until proven guilty. “Like all allegations,” he said, “these have not yet been tested in the crucible of a jury trial.”
A trial date has not yet been set.
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