Discord says it found no evidence suspect planned Charlie Kirk shooting on its platform

Discord said it found no evidence that the suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk planned the attack or coordinated post-shooting activity on its service, contradicting investigators who have said messages describing the crime were posted on the platform.

Investigators have said Tyler Robinson, 22, posted messages on Discord saying he needed to retrieve a rifle from a drop point and describing how he wrapped the rifle in a towel and stashed it in a bush after the shooting. Robinson was arrested Thursday night after being turned in by his father and has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice, according to a probable cause affidavit.

"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 Discord spokesperson told TMZ. "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."

Authorities released images of a person of interest sought during the manhunt and said Robinson was seen wearing a black T-shirt with a bald eagle flying across an American flag. Police and state officials have cited statements from a roommate saying Robinson discussed engravings found on the bullets believed to have been used in the shooting and recounted his movements after the killing in an online chatroom, which investigators believed to be Discord.

The shooting occurred during a debate at Utah Valley University where Kirk, 31, was participating in an event tied to his "American Comeback Tour." Video circulating after the attack showed Kirk recoil from an impact; he was later pronounced dead. Local officials and law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have been involved in the investigation.

At a Friday morning press conference, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said casings from the weapon used to kill Kirk were found to have several inscriptions and anti-fascist messages engraved on them. One casing appeared to reference the video game Helldivers 2 and included arrow symbols described by officials as matching a stratagem code used in the game. Other engravings quoted lyrics from the Italian protest song "Bella Ciao," and one used internet trolling language, Gov. Cox said. Investigators have described the markings as possibly signaling a political motive, but officials have not publicly assigned a definitive motive.

Family members told police Robinson had become more politically engaged in recent years and that, at a family dinner before the shooting, he expressed dislike for Kirk and discussed Kirk's visit to the campus. Gov. Cox said family members relayed that Robinson described Kirk as "full of hate and spreading hate." Those conversations prompted family members to alert police after Robinson's arrest, the governor said.

Sources cited by media outlets said Robinson confessed to his father, Matt Robinson, who had recognized his son in photos distributed by authorities and convinced him to turn himself in. Robinson's father reportedly sought the assistance of a local youth minister, who works with the U.S. Marshals Service, to facilitate contact with law enforcement. The father ultimately handed his son over to authorities, according to those accounts.

Public records reviewed by news organizations show Robinson has no recorded political party affiliation and did not vote in the last two elections; his parents are registered Republicans. Court filings and law enforcement have not linked Robinson to any formal political group, and investigators continue to examine his online activity, social contacts and movements leading up to the shooting.

Discord's statement to TMZ represents a notable divergence from investigators' public descriptions of the online trail. Investigators had said social media and chat messages helped trace actions before and after the shooting; Discord said the specific planning-related messages cited by authorities do not appear on its platform and were instead recounting of a note by a roommate after the fact.

The ongoing investigation remains active, and prosecutors will determine formal charges and next steps as law enforcement continues to gather evidence and interview witnesses. Authorities have not released details about Robinson's alleged motive beyond comments from family and the inscriptions on the casings. The FBI and local law enforcement have declined to comment beyond what was disclosed in press briefings and court documents.