Charlie Kirk killing: What we know about suspect Tyler Robinson’s motives

Conservative activistic and societal media property Charlie Kirk was fatally changeable during an lawsuit astatine Utah Valley University successful the United States connected Wednesday.

After much than a two-day manhunt, authorities arrested and named 22-year-old Utah nonmigratory Tyler Robinson arsenic the fishy successful Kirk’s shooting.

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While naming Robinson, authorities said a motive was unknown. Since then, however, politicians and posts connected societal media platforms person speculated astir what mightiness person driven Robinson to allegedly sprout Kirk.

Here is what we cognize truthful acold astir Robinson and imaginable motives:

Who changeable Kirk – and was helium a Republican oregon a Democrat?

On Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox named Robinson arsenic the idiosyncratic suspected of fatally shooting Kirk.

Robinson is simply a third-year pupil successful the electrical apprenticeship programme astatine Dixie Technical College successful St George, Utah.

State records from Utah showed that Robinson is simply a registered elector successful the state, but helium is not affiliated with immoderate governmental party. He did not ballot successful the 2 astir caller wide elections erstwhile helium was of voting age.

At the opening of the hunt for Kirk’s shooter, Utah’s Department of Public Safety released grainy surveillance camera photos of a achromatic antheral wearing Converse trainers, jeans, a long-sleeved achromatic T-shirt with a US emblem and eagle connected it, and a achromatic shot headdress with a triangle.

Robinson’s family: What bash we cognize astir their politics?

Robinson’s listed code is his parents’ location adjacent St George, astir a 3.5-hour thrust from Utah Valley University. Robinson’s parents are some registered Republicans.

Other household members person spoken successful quality interviews astir however the extended household excessively is Republican. On societal media platforms, immoderate of Robinson’s photos amusement him holding guns.

But successful an affidavit filed by prosecutors against Robinson aft his arrest, they said a household subordinate had told them that helium had “become much governmental successful caller years”.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Robert Bohls described Robinson’s limb arsenic “a high-powered, bolt-action rifle”.

According to the affidavit filed by prosecutors against Robinson connected Friday, investigators recovered a .30-06-calibre, bolt-action Mauser Model 98 firearm wrapped successful a acheronian coloured towel allegedly discarded by Robinson.

What drove Robinson to sprout Kirk, according to prosecutors?

While prosecutors person not spelled retired a motive for Robinson’s alleged act, their affidavit details conversations with the household subordinate who referred to the suspect’s progressively governmental crook and to Robinson’s flatmate.

According to the affidavit, 1 of Kirk’s household members told investigators that Robinson had visited for a household meal earlier the shooting. While talking to different household member, Robinson had talked astir his dislike for Kirk.

The different household subordinate besides echoed Robinson’s dislike, and some individuals said they did not similar Kirk’s viewpoints. The household subordinate besides said Kirk was afloat of hatred and spreading hate.

What has Utah’s politician said astir Robinson’s imaginable motivations?

Cox, a Republican, told The Wall Street Journal that Robinson was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology“.

Cox referenced cryptic messages that prosecutors said were engraved connected ammunition casings recovered with the firearm allegedly utilized successful Kirk’s shooting.

According to the affidavit, 1 fired casing read: “Notices, bulges OWO what’s this?”

Three unfired ammunition casings besides had messages. They read: “hey fascist! CATCH!” with an up arrow symbol, close arrow awesome and 3 down arrow symbols; a notation to an antifascist Italian people song, “O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, ciao!”; and “If you work This, you are GAY Lmao.”

Cox besides referenced the intersexual individuality of Robinson’s flatmate and partner, who the politician said had been cooperating with investigators.

In an interrogation with CNN, Cox said Robinson’s roommate was transgender, “a antheral transitioning to female”, who was romantically progressive with Robinson.

The Utah politician said that dissimilar the suspect’s household and flatmate, Robinson himself was “not cooperating” with the investigation.

What other bash we know?

According to the affidavit, Robinson’s roommate revealed physics messages that Robinson sent that could supply much clues astir the suspected shooter’s motive.

In the messages, the sender, named “Tyler”, said helium had near a firearm successful a bush and had to retrieve it. “Tyler” besides wrote that helium wrapped the firearm successful a towel. The messages besides speech astir engraving bullets.