It looks like authorities have only just scratched the surface of Charlie Kirk's September 10 murder, with questions about the motives of the alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, whether he had any help, and his digital footprint.
Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University, with the 31-year-old political commentator being hit with a fatal bullet to the neck while discussing gun crime. Eyewitnesses have described the gruesome scene of Kirk's murder, with a 33-hour manhunt finally ending when it's said Robinson's own father persuaded him to hand himself in.
While Robinson's grandmother admitted she's confused about how this happened, especially given his household's Republican views, Utah's Governor Spencer Cox claims that the 22-year-old had been 'radicalized'.
There are further questions about Robinson's relationship with his roommate, as his own mother admitted that she saw them as more than just friends. A series of texts between Robinson and his roommate have already been shared, and after he seemingly 'confessed' to Kirk's murder in a Discord chat, the FBI has confirmed it's looking further into his online presence.
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Speaking in a September 16 press conference, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that 'a lot more' than 20 people have either been investigated or are currently under investigation for discussing Kirk's assassination in a Discord chatroom.
Speaking in a Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Missouri's Senator Josh Hawley questioned: "I see the public reports that the Discord thread had as many as 20 additional users."
Patel simply replied: "It’s a lot more than that. We’re running them all down."
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Louisiana's Senator John Kennedy continued Patel's grilling as he asked: "Did Mr. Kirk’s assassin act alone?"
Trying to be as transparent as possible, Patel admitted: "There are a number of individuals that are currently being investigated and interrogated — and a number yet to be investigated and interrogated related to that chatroom."
When pushed again on whether others could've been involved in Robinson's alleged assassination of Kirk, Patel confirmed: "Yes, sir."
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It's said that around 30 people were in a Discord chat where Robinson posted just two hours after Kirk was shot. Screenshots shared with The Washington Post said: "Hey guys, I have bad news for you all."
“It was me at UVU yesterday. i’m sorry for all of this.
"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."
The chat reportedly remained quiet until someone wrote, "Pray for Tyler and his repentance," although there had been discussion of Kirk's shooting before Robinson posted.
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According to legal experts who've spoken to Fox, it's unlikely that others in the chat will face charges unless it can be proved that they had aided Robinson
Eugene Volokh, Professor Emeritus at UCLA Law School and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, explained: "It’s not a crime to see people confessing to a crime. It’s not [a] crime to do nothing about that. You can see or hear someone say, ‘yes, I murdered someone,’ and just ignore it. It’s just not illegal as a general matter to do that."
As Patel and the FBI continue to dive deeper into Discord, representatives reiterated that there was "no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence" via the platform.