Newly published Discord messages and testimonies from friends depict Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, as largely apolitical and ordinary, in contrast to federal and media portrayals of him as ideologically driven.
Tyler Robinson, accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, appeared to admit responsibility in a Discord message to friends. “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all … it was me at UVU yesterday. I’m sorry for all of this,” Robinson wrote.
The messages, along with accounts from those who knew him, complicate portrayals from both political camps. While former President Trump’s allies have depicted Robinson as left-wing and liberal voices have framed him as right-wing, federal officials are expected to classify him as a Nihilist Violent Extremist (NVE). The incident has already spurred a broader crackdown.
Friends describe Robinson differently. A childhood friend, who asked not to be named, said: “I think the main thing that’s caused so much confusion is that he was always generally apolitical for the most part … he just never really talked politics.” The same friend, who provided a personal photo of Robinson, recalled him as quiet, outdoorsy, and deeply into video games. “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.”
Symbols linked to the shooting, including the phrase “Hey fascist, catch!” and three arrows were widely reported as signs of leftist extremism. Friends, however, said both references came from Helldivers 2. Discord searches show Robinson rarely posted about politics, mentioning “Trump” and “Biden” only once each in passing.
The suspect’s sexuality and relationships were also little known to his family. According to the friend, Robinson had quietly dated a transgender partner. “I don’t think even Tyler knew the answer to that question, which is why he kept it so low key,” the friend said. While his family was generally supportive, “their ideas are based on someone they didn’t fully understand.”
Despite his role in the shooting, Robinson was not considered a loner. “Everyone who knew him liked him and he was always nice, a little quiet and kept to himself mostly but wasn’t a recluse,” his friend recalled.
Discord chats reviewed show his circle grappling with the news. “Even the goodbye message he sent in one of our servers was so hard to believe, we all just thought, what a weird joke to make … then the news came out and we all were calling each other saying check the news,” one said. Another posted: “Regardless of the horrible actions that took place we must take this moment to remember that God is a living and loving God who loves all his children … I ask that we all say a prayer for him and his family during these confusing times.”
Friends stress that the group was not political. “The last message is religious in nature which just goes to show the apolitical nature of the server … we all just exist as friends and just play stuff.”
Yet Washington sees the Discord channel differently. FBI Director Kash Patel vowed to investigate “anyone and everyone in that Discord chat.” Still, those inside it insist they are simply young people stunned by a friend’s violence. “Yeah I don’t know what makes a person like him decide he’s going to drive 260 miles upstate to shoot someone like Charlie Kirk, then come back like nothing happened,” said one. “It leaves a lot of room for speculation and theories which is why I think they’re so rampant.”
THIS WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON KEN KLIPPENSTEIN