The FBI believes there were clear warning signs before the shooting of Charlie Kirk and are probing people in his orbit who may have had prior knowledge of it.
Investigators are delving into the transgender and gaming subcultures in Utah and scouring social media accounts after the discovery of a series of posts that appeared to reflect some awareness of suspected gunman Tyler Robinson and his alleged plot.
‘There appear to have been multiple warning signs,’ FBI assistant Director Dan Bongino said.
He said ‘people in Robinson’s network’ were aware he had become ‘infected’ by far-left ideology and ‘that his target was obviously going to be Charlie, and that people knew in advance.’
Bongino added: ‘The question is…did they know? Were they sure of this? Or did they hear this and just write it off? That’s what we’re going to have to find out.’
Robinson, 22, had a circle of friends from high school who interacted on gaming forums including Steam and Discord.
The litany of suspicious social media posts FBI agents will have to assess, many of which were deleted shortly after the shooting on September 10, also encompasses X and TikTok.
One user called churbum75m, who seemingly followed a friend of Robinson’s on TikTok, posted on X straight after the shooting: ‘WE F***ING DID IT.’
Robinson was arrested late Thursday evening and the FBI is investigating whether anyone else had prior knowledge of the attack amid a litany of warning signs
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is investigating if ‘people knew in advance’ about the assassination of Charlie Kirk
Also on TikTok, a video was apparently posted the day before the shooting, showing what appeared to be a morgue technician with eerie music playing.
It said: ‘charles james kirk. mr. college dropout does NOT know what’s coming tomorrow. be ready…This isn’t a threat it’s a promise.’
The video went on: ‘it’s a BADDD day to be charlie [tomorrow]’.
An X post a week before the assassination said: ‘itd be funny if someone like charlie kirk got shot on september 10th LMAO.”
One user called @NajraGalvz, who identified as non-binary, wrote on X the day before the assassination: ‘Charlie kirk is coming to my college tomorrow i rlly hope someone evaporates him literally.’
They went on: ‘Lets just say something big will happen tomorrow.’
In the hours after that shooting that user wrote: ‘CHARLIE KIRK GOT SHOT BRO I PROMISE I DIDNT HSVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.’
Another set of posts that may form part of the investigation is one made after the shooting and release of surveillance pictures of the suspect, but before he was caught.
‘Hey, I know that guy – it’s my buddy Tyler!’ the user wrote. ‘Unfortunately they have the wrong dude. Tyler was at my house all day yesterday playing video games.’
It was not possible to verify whether that post was real, but investigators are likely to look at it.
Messages sent on the Discord platform after the surveillance images of Robinson were released included one from an acquaintance asking where he was, along with a skull icon.
Robinson replied: ‘my doppelganger is trying to get me in trouble.’
A map shows where Tyler Robinson shot from
Then, two hours before turning himself in, the suspect appeared to confess to a small group of friends in a chat on Discord, which is popular with gamers.
A message from Robinson’s account said: ‘Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. ‘It was me at UVU (Utah Valley University) yesterday. im sorry for all of this.’
Discord is understood to be cooperating with the FBI.
Meanwhile, they are also looking into local groups and networks where Robinson could have been known.
That includes a group called Armed Queers Salt Lake City which deleted its Instagram account after the shooting, the New York Post reported.
The ‘socialist queer organization’ emerged in the summer of 2020 and provides ‘defense to community members threatened by right-wing vigilantes and state violence.’
There is no known connection between Robinson and the group.
