Utah prosecutors have disclosed text messages between Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, and his romantic partner—who is transitioning from male to female—showing apparent premeditation and confession in the killing of the conservative activist.
Court filings reveal that on the day of the shooting, Robinson sent his partner a note under his keyboard stating, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” When asked if he was the shooter, Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”
Claiming motivation: ‘Enough of his hatred’
Robinson justified his actions in another message, writing, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Prosecutors said he had been planning the attack for more than a week.
Tyler Robinson detailed rifle recovery attempts
Tyler Robinson sheds light on his actions following the killing of the conservative activist.
In one exchange, Robinson described his attempts to recover the rifle he had used, which belonged to his grandfather:
“I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”
He later texted: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.”
Robinson also expressed caution about approaching the weapon: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”
He repeatedly expressed regret about losing the rifle and confided in his partner:
“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”
Concerns about the murder weapon and DNA evidence
Later texts showed Robinson expressing concern about the rifle he had left in a bush after the shooting, noting it belonged to his grandfather: “I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints.” DNA from the weapon has been linked to Robinson, according to court documents.
Prosecutors: Robinson directed partner to delete evidence
According to Utah County District Attorney Jeffrey Gray, Robinson discarded the rifle and clothing used in the attack and instructed his partner to delete incriminating text messages. Gray said:
“He directed his partner to delete their messages and told them to stay silent if questioned by police.”
Robinson faces multiple felony charges, including discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, obstruction of justice with a potential 15-year sentence, and witness tampering for instructing his partner to hide evidence.
Charges filed, death penalty sought
Prosecutors have filed seven charges against Robinson, including aggravated murder and obstruction of justice, and are seeking the death penalty due to aggravating factors.
