WP: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect confessed in Discord chat before arrest

The 22-year-old accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University appeared to confess in a private online chat shortly before surrendering to law enforcement, The Washington Post reported.

“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” wrote Tyler Robinson in a Discord group message on the evening of September 11. “It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this.” The message, sent at 7:57 p.m. local time, continued: “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.”

Robinson was taken into custody around 10 p.m. that night, following a 33-hour manhunt. Screenshots of the chat, verified by a group member, were shared with The Post.

Discord confirmed to authorities that the message came from Robinson’s account and is cooperating with the FBI and local officials. The company said its internal review found “no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.”

The chat group, which had about 30 members, had been discussing Kirk’s shooting the day before. “Charlie Kirk got shot,” one user wrote on September 10. Another added: “Bro didn’t deserve to go out like that sad.” Robinson’s only response came the following day, with his apparent confession.

According to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Robinson’s motive remains under investigation, though early findings suggest he held a “leftist ideology” and had become “more political” in recent years, often criticizing Kirk.

Authorities said a family member first raised the alarm after Robinson privately admitted or hinted that he was the shooter.

The New York Times also reported that earlier Thursday, Robinson joked in another Discord chat that a “doppelganger” was being mistaken for him after police released suspect images. Cox confirmed that Robinson’s friends initially “did not believe it was actually him.”

By Tamilla Hasanova