Tyler Robinson, 22, confessed in text messages to his transgender partner that he assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a September 10 event at Utah Valley University.

Prosecutors in Utah unveiled chilling new details Tuesday in the case against Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

According to court filings, Robinson confessed to the killing in a series of text messages sent to his transgender partner less than three hours after Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10.

The messages, combined with a handwritten note Robinson left under his computer keyboard, are expected to play a central role in the state’s push for the death penalty.

Robinson allegedly took aim from a rooftop overlooking the campus venue where Kirk, 31, was addressing supporters on his American Comeback Tour.

Prosecutors said Robinson fired a single round from a scoped .30-06-caliber hunting rifle, striking Kirk in the neck as he stood at the podium.

Kirk collapsed in front of hundreds of attendees, including children, sparking chaos inside the auditorium. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

Court filings detail how Robinson, following the shooting, reached out to his live-in partner, 23-year-old Lance Twiggs, who is in the process of transitioning. At approximately 10 p.m., Robinson sent a message instructing Twiggs to look beneath his computer keyboard.

There, Twiggs reportedly found a note that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” The note appeared to confirm premeditation, prosecutors said, as Robinson admitted he had been planning the killing for at least a week.

When Twiggs pressed Robinson for clarification, asking whether the messages were some kind of joke, Robinson responded with what prosecutors described as a blunt confession. “I am. I’m sorry,” Robinson allegedly wrote.

In another message, he added, “I am still ok my love, but am stuck in Orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”

Robinson also admitted to Twiggs that he had stashed the rifle in nearby bushes after frantically changing his clothes.

“I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpa’s rifle… how the f— will I explain losing it to my old man,” he allegedly texted. The weapon, a family heirloom, was later recovered by law enforcement during a sweep of the campus perimeter.

Twiggs, according to investigators, has not been charged with any crime and is cooperating with authorities. Officials emphasized that while Twiggs received the incriminating texts, there is no evidence he was involved in the planning or execution of the attack.

In the exchange, Robinson appeared to frame the act as motivated by his desire to protect Twiggs, writing, “\[Y]ou are all I worry about love.”

Robinson was formally arraigned in court on September 16, facing seven counts in total. These include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice.

If convicted, prosecutors announced they would pursue the death penalty. Utah Governor Spencer Cox signaled his support for the decision immediately following the assassination. “To whoever did this, we will find you.

We will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law,” Cox said, reminding the public that “we still have the death penalty in the state of Utah.”

Prosecutors later confirmed that a firing squad is one possible method of execution should Robinson be sentenced to death.

The assassination has reverberated across the political spectrum. Kirk, a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and the founder of Turning Point USA, had built a national profile as a firebrand speaker and organizer for conservative youth.

He was known for his staunch opposition to progressive policies, his frequent media appearances, and his role in mobilizing young conservatives on college campuses.

His death has left a void in Republican activist circles, where he was regarded as a rising figure with a growing influence over the movement’s direction.

Kirk’s body was transported to Arizona aboard Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, before being taken to Phoenix’s Hansen Mortuary Chapel. His funeral is scheduled for September 21 at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals.

Former President Trump, who described Kirk as “like a second son,” has vowed to attend. Kirk is survived by his wife and two young children.

The investigation into Robinson’s motives has uncovered what prosecutors describe as a history of online radicalization. Court filings allege Robinson had been immersed in leftist ideology and had grown increasingly hostile toward conservative political figures.

The indictment cites digital evidence, including social media posts and online forums, where Robinson allegedly expressed disdain for Kirk and other right-wing leaders.

Public reaction to the revelations has been swift and polarized. Supporters of Kirk expressed outrage that the accused shooter openly confessed to his partner and left behind what prosecutors called “a chilling trail of self-incrimination.”

Critics of mainstream media seized on reports that some journalists had described Robinson’s text messages in unexpectedly sympathetic terms, fueling further controversy.

For prosecutors, however, the case is less about media framing and more about establishing clear evidence of intent. The text messages, combined with the handwritten note, eyewitness testimony, and physical evidence from the scene, form what they say is an airtight case.

“This was not a spur-of-the-moment act,” one prosecutor said outside the courthouse Tuesday. “This was deliberate, calculated, and executed with devastating precision.”

As the trial date approaches, security is expected to be tight in Utah, with officials bracing for potential protests and counterprotests.

Meanwhile, the grieving family of Charlie Kirk prepares for a high-profile funeral that will likely draw thousands of mourners, including some of the most powerful figures in Republican politics.

The legal battle ahead promises to be lengthy and emotionally charged. For now, Tyler Robinson remains behind bars, his fate to be determined by a jury that will weigh his chilling confessions against the enormity of his alleged crime.