Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk during an event in Utah last week, sent text messages to his transgender-identifying lover after the shooting explaining that he had “had enough of” Kirk’s “hatred.”
Prosecutors released the text messages in a court filing on Tuesday, shortly before Robinson’s expected arraignment on charges of aggravated murder and weapon and obstruction offenses. If Robinson is convicted on the aggravated murder charge, prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty.
During a press conference announcing the charges, Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray read off a series of text messages that Robinson sent his transgender romantic partner immediately after the shooting. In the messages, he told his partner, who the New York Post identified as Lance Twiggs, to read a note he had left under his keyboard in which he admitted to the assassination.
“I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it,” the note read.
Robinson explained to Twiggs that he felt compelled to kill Kirk to stop the conservative activist from spreading “hate.”
“I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” Robinson wrote. Robinson also further confessed when pressed by Twiggs. Twiggs asked “you weren’t the one who did it, right????” and Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”
Gray went on to explain that Robinson’s family members reported that he had grown more political since entering into a relationship with Twiggs.
Robinson’s mom told law enforcement that he had become more political and had started to lean more to the left, “becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented,” according to Gray.
Robinson’s political shift and his romantic relationship with his transgender roommate “resulted in several discussions with family members, but especially between Robinson and his father, who have very different political views,” according to court documents filed Tuesday.
“Since trump got into office [my dad] has been pretty diehard maga,” Robinson said in one text message to his roommate.
In the text messages to Twiggs, Robinson revealed he had been planning the shooting for “a bit over a week.”
“Remember how I was engraving bullets?” he messaged. “The f***in messages are mostly a big meme, if I see ‘notices bulge uwu’ on fox new [sic] I might have a stroke.”
He ultimately directed his roommate to delete their messages.
“You are all I worry about love,” Robinson said before instructing the roommate “don’t talk to the media please. Don’t take any interviews or make any comments. If any police ask you questions ask for a lawyer and stay silent.”
Robinson is set to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon, one day after FBI Director Kash Patel revealed law enforcement had uncovered new evidence in the investigation, including a confirmed DNA match linking Robinson to the crime scene.
Robinson’s DNA was present on a screwdriver found on a rooftop at the Utah Valley University campus as well as on a towel that was wrapped around the rifle that investigators found in the woods near the assassination site, Patel said during an interview on Fox & Friends.
Gray said Robinson’s DNA was also found on the trigger of the gun.
Kirk was shot in the neck last week while taking questions in front of a large crowd at Utah Valley University during an event for his American Comeback Tour.
The suspect fired a single shot from a rooftop 160 yards from the stage before climbing off the roof and fleeing into a wooded area, according to authorities.
Kirk, a father to two young children, died in the hospital after he was rushed there in a private vehicle.
Robinson, who is believed to have acted alone, came to the attention of the authorities after he contacted a family friend following the assassination, Utah Governor Spencer Cox revealed during a Friday morning press conference. That friend reported Robinson to the local sheriff’s office and Robinson’s father, a veteran police officer, then orchestrated his surrender to authorities at his home in Washington County, Utah.
Authorities also recovered unspent rounds that were engraved with antifascist writing.
“Hey fascist, catch,” read the engraving on one round. Another round was engraved with the message “Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao,” a reference to a song favored by resistance movements and revolutionary anti-capitalist partisans.
Additionally, the spent casing that killed Kirk was engraved with “Notices bulge OwO what’s this?” The phrase appears to come from an old internet meme that is popular in online “furry” communities, which are made up of users who have a sexual fetish related to furry animals.