Days later, the FBI announced it had detained their leading suspect, identified as 22-year-old Utah native, Tyler Robinson.
It is reported the young man was handed in by his own father, a Republican voter, though Robinson’s grandmother is adamant the authorities ‘have the wrong man.’
However, he is said to have made flippant jokes with buddies prior to his arrest in connection with killing Kirk.
Robinson reportedly joked about the two grainy surveillance images the feds had posted in its search for their suspect, which showed a slim young man of around college age wearing a cap and sunglasses, while skulking the stairwell of the campus.
Allegedly on Discord, virtual friends appeared to note a similarity between the suspect and Robinson, though the alleged killer is said to have brushed off the suggestion as his ‘doppelganger’, reports the New York Times.
A buddy even tagged Robinson in a post with the FBI images and wrote ‘wya’, meaning ‘where you at?’, alongside a skull emoji.
Moments later, Robinson shrugged off the allegation, snapping back it was his look-alike trying to ‘get me in trouble.’
“Tyler killed Charlie!!!”, another comment read in an apparent joke.
Another user in the 20-person group chat is said to have suggested turning Robinson in to claim the FBI’s hefty $100,000 reward while the manhunt was underway.
“Only if I get a cut,” the alleged shooter jibed back.
The messages have come to light as someone in the group chat, whom claims to have known Robinson since high school, shared the content with the outlet under the condition of anonymity.
“Whatever you do, don’t go to a McDonald’s anytime soon,” another pal wrote in a nod to where Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with the killing of a health insurance CEO in Manhattan, was spotted and arrested.
Robinson reportedly agreed and joked back that he ‘better also get rid of this manifesto and exact copy rifle I have lying around.’
He also put forward that he believed the shooter was ‘clearly’ from California.
“I heard the ammo had somethin about trans stuff on it, but they aren’t releasing photos or exact quotes,” he also reportedly wrote, adding: “And also the claim wasn’t backed by the official FBI, just some dude in the briefing room.”
“I’m actually Charlie Kirk, wanted to get outta politics so I faked my death, now I can live out my dream life in Kansas.”
Discord has since denied its platform had been involved in the incident and declined to confirm Robinson’s username to the outlet.
“In the course of our investigation, we identified a Discord account associated with the suspect, but have found no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“The messages referenced in recent reporting about planning details do not appear to be Discord messages.
“These were communications between the suspect’s roommate and a friend after the shooting, where the roommate was recounting the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere.”