While the FBI looked for leads, according to two law enforcement sources, Robinson and his friends bantered about the shooting in a more than 20-person group on Discord.
The Discord spokesperson said an internal investigation by the company found “no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.”
“Whatever you do don’t go to a mcdonalds anytime soon,” the friend wrote, according to the law enforcement sources.
Before the arrest, messages from the account belonging to Robinson appeared to suggest he planned to turn himself in to authorities, the Discord spokesperson confirmed.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that he was arrested after Robinson’s father saw the FBI’s images and confronted his son.
In a message to friends on the chat app Discord, Tyler Robinson, 22, seemed to accept responsibility for the shooting just hours before he was arrested for the alleged murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a company representative told CBS News on Monday.
The spokesperson and a law enforcement source said that a message from an account purportedly belonging to Robinson said, “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all.”. Yesterday, it was me at UVU. For all of this, I apologize. “..”.
The Washington Post broke the news of the messages first.
Following Kirk’s shooting death on Wednesday at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University, the messages were sent near the conclusion of a manhunt that lasted almost two days. Utah Gov. According to Spencer Cox, Robinson came clean to his father. FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Friday that Robinson had been arrested late Thursday night.
Patel’s order to release six surveillance images of the alleged shooter and his appeal for public assistance in cracking the case over the course of the previous day garnered national attention and renewed concerns about the threat of political violence.
Two law enforcement sources claim that Robinson and his friends discussed the shooting in a Discord group of over 20 people while the FBI searched for leads. The platform is well-liked by gamers. An internal investigation by the company, according to the Discord spokesperson, revealed “no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord.”. “.”.
Law enforcement sources claimed that at least three friends asked Robinson if he was the shooter because he appeared to be in the FBI’s released photos. He didn’t seem to deny it.
During one conversation, a friend reportedly made fun of Robinson by telling him to stay away from McDonald’s, where alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione was apprehended late last year carrying a fake ID, a rifle, and a manifesto.
The police sources claim that the friend wrote, “Whatever you do, don’t go to a McDonald’s anytime soon.”.
“You should also get rid of this manifesto and exact copy rifle I have lying around,” the account that seemed to be Robinson’s replied. “..”.
According to the Discord spokesperson, messages from Robinson’s account seemed to indicate that he intended to surrender to police prior to the arrest.
One message said, “Thanks for all the laughs and fun times, you’ve all been so amazing, thank you all for everything. I’m surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments.”. “.
Robinson was later arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, obstruction, and possession of a firearm. “The state will pursue the death penalty,” Cox says. After formal charges are filed, Robinson may appear in court for the first time on Tuesday afternoon, according to Utah County Attorney’s Office chief of staff Christopher Ballard.
According to law enforcement sources who spoke to CBS News, Robinson was taken into custody after his father confronted him after seeing the FBI’s pictures. The sources claimed that although Robinson acknowledged being the person in the pictures, he preferred to commit suicide when his father urged him to turn himself in. Robinson was then calmed down by his father calling a youth pastor, but the pastor, who was also a court security officer, called the U.S. A. Marshals Service.
