Alleged assassin Tyler Robinson called the gun he used to kill Charlie Kirk “grandpa’s rifle” and obsessed over leaving it at the scene in messages to his transgender boyfriend, authorities revealed Tuesday.
Robinson, 22, fired off a slew of texts to beau Lance Twiggs, also 22, fewer than three hours after allegedly killing the conservative icon, panicking about not being able to explain it to his father if he lost the .30-06 hunting rifle during his crime, said Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray alleged at the press conference Tuesday.
“I’m worried what my old man would do if I don’t bring back grandpa’s rifle,” Robinson wrote to Twiggs at 2:55 p.m. on Sept. 10 — after having fatally shot Kirk, 31, during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University shortly before 12:30 p.m., Gray said.
“IDK if it has a serial number but it wouldn’t trace to me,” Robinson allegedly wrote. “I’m worried about prints, I had to leave it in a bush where i changed outfits, didn’t have the ability or time to take it with.’
Alleged assassin Tyler Robinson called the gun he used to kill Charlie Kirk “grandpa’s rifle” and obsessed over leaving it at the scene of the crime in messages to his roommate. FBI
A bolt action rifle recovered near the scene where Charlie Kirk was fatally shot. Obtained by the NY Post“How the F will I explain losing it to my old man,” Robinson wrote, according to Gray.
Here's the latest on the Charlie Kirk shooting in Utah
- Police identified Tyler Robinson, 22, as the alleged assassin who fatally shot Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
- Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice.
- Law enforcement confirmed that Robinson was living with a transgender roommate, and communications between the two helped the feds catch the alleged assassin.
- Kirk, the 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder, was attending an event on his American Comeback Tour when he was struck in the neck by a single shot.
- President Trump was among many who have called for the assassin to receive the death penalty.
- Kirk’s body was brought to Arizona from Utah on Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, and taken to Phoenix’s Hansen Mortuary Chapel.
- Kirk’s funeral, which Trump has promised to attend, is scheduled for Sept. 21 at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals.
- Kirk, a rising MAGA star, is survived by his wife and two young children.
Kirk was fatally shot from about 200 yards while he answered a question transgender mass shooters, and Robinson was nabbed about 33 hours later after an extensive manhunt. His own father turned him in.
Robinson’s mother first recognized her son from images released of the suspect by authorities the next day and told her husband — who noticed the rifle used in the crime matched one gifted to Tyler, according to court documents.
The suspecting father texted Tyler, asking for photos of the Mauser rifle.
“my dad wants photos of the rifle… he says grandpa wants to know who has what, the feds released a photo of the rifle, and its very unique. Hes calling me rn, not answering,” Robinson wrote to Twiggs of his “diehard MAGA” dad.
The alleged killer said he planned to retrieve the rifle from the scene to leave no trace of his link to the nation-shaking murder, according to authorities.
Robinson said he planned to retrieve the rifle from the scene to leave no trace of his link to the nation-shaking murder, according to authorities
“If i’m able to grab my rifle unseen I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they will have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it,” Robinson allegedly wrote.
Despite being worried over leaving the murder weapon wrapped in a towel in the woods near the campus, Robinson joked about police and media reporting on the sick meme-inspired messages he etched on bullets.
“remember how I was engraving bullets? The f–kin messages are mostly a big meme, if I see “notices bulge uwu” on fox new [sic] I might have a stroke,” the alleged twisted assassin wrote.
Utah police found similarly marked shell casings after executing a search warrant at Robinson and Twigg’s shared apartment, according to court papers.
The Utah State Bureau of Investigations claimed it recovered DNA from the murder weapon that is consistent with Robinson, court papers stated.
Other messages revealed that Robinson, who is not cooperating with investigators, was apparently remorseless about killing the father of two and rising star conservative, according to prosecutors.
“I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” he allegedly told Twiggs.
