What Was the Motive Behind Charlie Kirk's Assassination? By Liam Quinn

Authorities investigating the assassination of Charlie Kirk are trying to pin down the suspected shooter’s motive, which has been the subject of fervent online debate.

Kirk, a right-wing activist, was fatally shot at a Turning Point USA rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Authorities say the gunman used a high-powered rifle to shoot Kirk from the roof of a building 200 yards away from where the event was being held.

On Friday, Sept. 12, authorities arrested Tyler Robinson, 22, after a family member contacted a family friend who alerted the sheriff’s office following the FBI’s release of surveillance images of the suspect, officials said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox did not detail a specific motive, but has given context about Robinson’s alleged online activity prior to the crime he’s now accused of committing.

Cox said that, recently, the suspect had become “radicalized” and was an avid online gamer and was frequently on Reddit.

“Clearly there is a lot of gaming that was going on … that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep,” Cox said on Meet the Press on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Cox, who previously announced Robinson’s arrest, told Meet the Press, that the suspect had “leftist ideology,” despite being raised by a conservative family.

The governor said Robinson’s family and romantic partner, who Cox says is in the process of transitioning from male to female, have been cooperative with investigators and had no prior knowledge of the shooting.

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Much has been made of engravings found on shell casings said to have been located with the gun used in the shooting.

One of the engravings said, “Hey fascist, catch,” which some have characterized as a video game reference, while others contained apparent nods to internet memes.

The opaque nature of the statements on the casings has led to speculation on both sides of the political spectrum. Some have asserted that Robinson is a radical left-winger, while others have raised the possibility that he is a so-called “Groyper” — an internet follower of far-right commentator Nick Fuentes, a group known for its use of ironic memes.

There is no explicit evidence to tie Robinson to the Groyper movement or Fuentes, who is known for his antisemitic and White nationalist views and is a prominent Kirk critic.

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As for Cox’s claim that there was “clearly leftist ideology,” the governor did not provide further details into what that meant.

Robinson is registered to vote in Utah, but has not voted in an election and is not registered to a party.

Robinson, who has not yet been officially charged, is being held on suspicion of murder.