Tyler Robinson, 22, told friends in his Discord chat that it was his “doppelganger” who pulled the trigger
FBI investigators found Robinson’s online messages referencing a rifle, a manifesto, and ammunition engraved with political slogans
Prosecutors plan to press formal charges on September 16
Day after Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested as the suspect in the death of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist, new details have emerged. Hours after Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, Robinson in his Discord chat online told his friends that it was his doppelganger. He said the doppelganger pulled the trigger, claiming that the look-alike wanted to get him “in trouble.”
The New York Times reported that Robinson appeared online on Discord the same afternoon after the shooting. Friends in his chat group noticed a striking resemblance between him and FBI-released surveillance photos of the suspect — a skinny young man in dark clothes. One acquaintance tagged Robinson with the images and wrote “wya” — where you at? — ending with a skull emoji. Robinson replied within a minute, blaming a “doppelganger.”
The group then joked about framing him for the $100,000 FBI reward. Robinson himself sneered, “Only if I get a cut,” while mocking the investigation. He later wrote he should “get rid of the manifesto and exact copy rifle lying around.” Another user wrote “Tyler killed Charlie!!!!” jokingly, and Tyler joked that the shooter was “CLEARLY from California.”
The FBI is now probing Robinson’s motive as prosecutors prepare formal charges. Investigators also interrogated his roommates in Saint George, Utah, on Saturday, September 13, 2025. They reviewed incriminating texts allegedly sent by Robinson. According to Daily Mail, one roommate claimed Robinson spoke of stashing the rifle used in the killing near UVU. Reports by Axios, Fox, and the New York Post also alleged Robinson was living with a “trans partner.”
Casings found at the scene bore inscriptions including “Hey fascist! CATCH!” Robinson allegedly fired a single fatal shot from 400 feet away, striking Kirk in the neck as he addressed students during the first stop of his American Comeback Tour.
Robinson turned himself in on Thursday, September 11, 2025, after his father confronted him. His father had recognized him in FBI footage showing a man wearing a black T-shirt with an eagle and American flag leaping from a UVU building rooftop.
Discord messages released to The New York Times reveal Robinson’s flippant attitude. He mocked the FBI probe, referenced ammunition engravings linked to “trans ideology,” and joked he was “actually Charlie Kirk” who had faked his own death to “live out [his] dream life in Kansas.”
The group members continued to jest, warning him not to repeat the mistake of UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione, who was caught at a McDonald’s. Robinson quipped he would avoid McDonald’s and rid himself of evidence.
Robinson’s online friends expressed disbelief after his arrest, with one saying, “I truly cannot distinguish if this is for real.” Law enforcement has indicated he implied or confessed to the crime and that prosecutors will press formal charges on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. [Rh/VP]
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