The alleged killer of Charlie Kirk’s politics could be more complicated than left or right wing (Image: Getty)
A fresh trove of leaked online chats from the alleged killer of Charlie Kirk indicates that current government and mainstream media accounts of the suspected gunman, Tyler Robinson, could be entirely mistaken.
Contradictory stories have surfaced about 22-year-old Robinson’s beliefs since authorities identified him as a suspect in the deadly shooting of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk at a debate held at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, last Wednesday.
Whilst government figures have insisted that Robinson is a left-wing extremist, including President Donald Trump, who made such claims even before his identity was disclosed, numerous liberals have argued that he was radicalised by the online far-right, like many young men his age.
His family, admittedly conservative and pro-Trump, has indicated that Robinson was both reserved and apolitical, whilst authorities believe he became more politically engaged in recent years. Nevertheless, an analysis released Tuesday by independent journalist Ken Klippenstein, who spoke with “the people closest to” Robinson whilst examining the Discord conversations the suspect participated in, challenges these accounts.
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Klippenstein’s report suggests that Robinson’s political views don’t align with any particular party and the online communities he was part of are neither radical nor threatening violence. They even show an eerie calm as he allegedly explains the awful thing he has done.
Indeed, a review of the Discord chat and interviews with close childhood friends show that the people who knew him have been left both confused and horrified by the killing of Charlie Kirk, to which Robinson seemingly confessed in one of his Discord chats, reports the MirrorUS.
Robinson allegedly admitted in a Discord chat, under his supposed username zealous_monkey_55095, to killing Kirk just before his arrest.
In the Discord chat, Robinson allegedly wrote, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. it was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this. im surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments. thanks for all the good times and laughs, you’ve all been so amazing. thank you all for everything.”
After spending four nights in a Utah prison on several charges related to Kirk’s murder, Robinson made his initial court appearance with a court-appointed lawyer on Tuesday.
Tyler Robinson pictured with his family (Image: Handout)
A close childhood friend disclosed that many in the Discord thought Robinson’s post was “a weird joke,” expressing bewilderment as to why he decided to “drive 260 miles upstate to shoot someone like Charlie Kirk, then come back like nothing happened,” which the friend believes has led to “room for speculation and theories” that are currently “rampant”.
After speaking with Robinson’s friends, a fresh picture has emerged of Robinson being “quiet” but “well-liked” with “a supportive family.”
His close friend, who did not disclose their identity due to fear of threats, said Robinson was a typical young Utah boy. He enjoyed being outdoors, going hiking, fishing, shooting guns and is also an avid video gamer and active in online gaming communities.
The friend also revealed that Robinson is bisexual and dating a transgender person named Lance, though he kept their relationship “lowkey between themselves” out of fear that his family might disapprove, though the friend admitted the family was generally supportive of him.
Tyler Robinson has been described as pro-LGBT and a supporter of gun rights (Image: Handout)
Yet, Robinson is also a fierce supporter of the Second Amendment, giving Americans the right to bear arms, making clear that Robinson’s identity is too complex to boil down to left or right wing.
In fact, the close friend said Robinson “was always generally apolitical for the most part,” which has led to “so much confusion” for his friends in the wake of the assassination accusations.
After conducting a search of various Discord chats that Robinson is in, Klippenstein found only one respective mention from Robinson of Biden and Trump, both of which were mere updates about politics, including Trump’s 2019 impeachment and the 2020 election, reflecting the relatively apolitical nature of Robinson described by his friend.
“To all of us he just seemed like a simple guy who liked playing games like Sea of Thieves, Deep Rock Galactic and Helldivers 2, loved to fish and loved to camp,” the close childhood friend told Klippenstein.
“It really did seem like that’s all he was about.”
The friend later added, “Everyone who knew him liked him and he was always nice, a little quiet and kept to himself mostly but wasn’t a recluse.”
Tyler Robinson inscribed references to his favourite video games and memes on the bullets he used (Image: Handout)
After examining the Discord conversations and speaking to his close childhood friend, Klippenstein concluded that “the picture that emerges bears little resemblance to the media version.
“Robinson, I am told, though quiet, was a well-liked person with a supportive family,” Klippenstein wrote.
“The friend group who he interacted with on Discord, far from some kind of militia camp or Antifa bunker it’s been portrayed as, represented a range of different political views but mostly talked video games.”
Klippenstein later added, “No one in Robinson’s group is cheering or justifying the murder in any of the messages I reviewed. They’re just struggling to understand what their friend did.
“But Washington has become obsessed with the Discord chat, convinced it’s some kind of headquarters for the murder and cauldron of radicalization and conspiracy,” he said, noting FBI Director Kash Patel’s threat to investigate all with ties to the Discord chat.
However, Klippenstein, stated: “what I see is a bunch of young people shocked, horrified and searching for answers, like the rest of the country.”