ST. GEORGE, Utah – After Charlie Kirk’s accused killer allegedly confessed in a Discord chat, legal experts say others in the group are unlikely to face charges unless investigators find proof of active involvement.
Suspect Tyler Robinson posted in a Discord group hours before his arrest, writing, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all…It was me at UVU yesterday…I’m sorry for all of this.”
The FBI is reviewing the Discord chat where Robinson is believed to have posted.
On Monday, FBI Director Kash Patel said some people assume agents can access group chats instantly to see who was involved. In reality, he said, scores of users were in the room.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is shown in an undated photo from his mother’s Facebook page. Police have named Robinson a suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk. (Amber Robinson via Facebook)
“So, it would be surprising to me if you looked at those people who were in the chats, as potential criminal defendants. I would be looking at them as witnesses that might help me, in terms of proving what this guy’s state of mind was in the days leading up to the murder,” McCarthy added.
He noted that in some cases, people who receive clear threats may be legally obligated to alert police. But he said that threshold hasn’t been met in this case.
Volokh added that the law requires something more than silence or passive presence in a chatroom.
“There’s got to be something beyond simply hearing the confession and simply doing nothing,” he said. “Simply praising the person’s crime, either in general or to the person, is not itself punishable, because it’s not soliciting any new crime. But if you say, ‘Here’s a list of other people you should kill,’ in principle, that might be solicitation of future crimes.
While Discord is a relatively new platform, Volokh noted that the law applies the same way it would to older forms of communication.
“The technology of communication to people is at least tens of thousands of years old, and the legal principles in American law are pretty much the same in this kind of situation, regardless of the technology,” he said.
Tyler Robinson appears virtually in Utah court on Sept. 16, 2025, to face charges in the assassination of Charlie Kirk. (Utah State Courts)
Fox News has reached out to Discord regarding a Washington Post report that Robinson confessed to the Kirk shooting on Discord shortly before turning himself in, and the company said the reporting was accurate.
Discord confirmed Robinson’s account was on its platform but said he did not plan the attack there.
“During our investigation, Discord identified an account belonging to the suspect. We have not found or received any evidence that the suspect planned this incident on Discord or promoted violence on Discord,” a Discord spokesperson said. “The messages referenced in reporting about weapon retrieval and planning details were not Discord messages, and likely took place on a phone-number based messaging platform. We continue to work closely with the FBI and local authorities, and will continue to deliver prompt responses to their requests for assistance.”
