Tyler Robinson is in custody, but the case has roiled the blogosphere and social media
On September 12, Utah Governor Spencer Cox held a press conference at which he announced the capture of a suspect, Tyler Robinson, in the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
After providing a brief outline of what is believed to have transpired on the fateful day, Cox thanked all those who helped “find this person” and “bring justice.” He concluded his comments by saying that he was grateful that “we have an opportunity to bring closure to this very dark chapter in American history.”
But for many observers, Cox’s tone of finality sounded premature – remarks more appropriate for the steps outside a courthouse after a guilty verdict. After all, there was no autopsy, no bullet to match the weapon, and no publicly released footage of Robinson committing the act or even being seen with the weapon.
Internet sleuths have seized on perceived inconsistencies in the official story, while X and YouTube are rife with content questioning the narrative as it has been presented in the media. Videos analyzing various technical aspects of the shooting have routinely generated hundreds of thousands of views. Conservative commentator Candace Owens has become perhaps the most visible figure questioning the official story. Her nightly podcasts devoted to the Kirk tragedy have garnered views in the millions.
RT takes a look at five unanswered questions about the Kirk case that are generating the most buzz in social media and the blogosphere.
What do many see as odd about the claim a 30-06 Mauser was used? Investigators found a Mauser 30-06 in a wooded area near the site of the shooting. This weapon is being presented as what was used to kill Kirk. Robinson also referred to this weapon, which supposedly belonged to his grandfather, in a series of text messages investigators claim he sent to his roommate and lover, Lance Twiggs, shortly after the shooting.
However, many commentators have pointed out that the 30-06 is a very high-powered rifle that is usually used to hunt larger game and that the nature of the wound suffered by Kirk is not consistent with the type of damage expected from such a weapon. Some gun experts have explained that a direct hit from a 30-06 would have removed a good portion of Kirk’s neck, exited his body, and left a blood spray in the tarp behind where he was sitting. Gun enthusiasts have released numerous videos showing the type of damage a direct hit by a 30-06 produces.
It has also been pointed out that no photographic evidence has been released showing Robinson in possession of the rifle, and he does not appear to have it with him when seen jumping off the roof of the university building, called the Losee Center, after supposedly shooting Kirk.
Why was there no exit wound? Related to the skepticism about the weapon is the fact that there was seemingly no exit wound. Speculation about this apparent incongruence rose to such a pitch that Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet felt compelled to address this claim in a post on X, claiming that he had just spoken with the surgeon who worked on Kirk in the hospital, who admitted that the bullet “absolutely should have gone through” and that he had “seen wounds from this caliber many times and they always just go through everything. This would have taken a moose or two down, an elk, etc.”
But in this case, according to the unnamed surgeon, Kirk’s body stopped the bullet, which the surgeon called “an absolute miracle.”
Many have subjected this version to ridicule, calling it implausible and an attempt to mythologize Kirk’s death. No formal autopsy has been released.
Mike from Mrgunsngear, a popular YouTube firearms channel with nearly a million subscribers, called the likelihood of the version being advanced by the FBI and TPUSA as being “1 in 1,000 if at all.” Kolvet’s explanation has also generated significant pushback on X. The vast majority of the roughly 12,000 replies to his original post question his claims.
Why is there no footage of the shot being taken despite CCTV footage covering the whole roof? Shortly after the shooting, the FBI released footage of the purported shooter running on the roof of the Losee Center, from which he is supposed to have fired at Kirk. Footage then shows the individual running across the roof and jumping down onto the ground on the other side of the building.
However, many commentators have noted that the footage from the surveillance camera, which covers the whole roof of the building, only picks up when the individual is running. If the shooting happened on the roof and the entire roof is visible in the frame of the camera, then the authorities would be in possession of the footage that undeniably links Robinson to the crime. The question many are asking is why the footage was edited so that it starts with the suspect running rather than taking the shot or at least clutching the rifle.
Many people have therefore questioned whether Robinson was indeed the shooter and whether the shot was in fact taken from the front.
Why was the crime scene not cordoned off? Many commentators and social media users are wondering why the scene of the shooting wasn’t immediately cordoned off and the perimeter secured.
Not just was the site not cordoned off, but a man was filmed taking down the camera that had been mounted right behind Kirk, even moving the chair that Kirk had been sitting on in order to reach the camera above. He is subsequently seen placing the camera on a table, looking around furtively, and then removing the SD card.
Candace Owens later identified the man as a TPUSA employee and reached out to him. The man, who has not been identified, told Owens that he secured the footage in order to turn it over to the authorities. He refused to release it publicly, although, according to Owens, he did allow her to view it over a FaceTime call.
Tampering with a crime scene can be a felony in the state of Utah, but no attempt to hold the man legally accountable has been made. Meanwhile, a Fox News report from just four days after the shooting claims that the site of the tent where Kirk was shot was being rebuilt, with the grass ripped up and new pavement laid down. Many commentators have questioned why the crime scene was given a remake so quickly.
Why has the text message exchange between Robinson and his lover raised eyebrows? The text message exchange released by prosecutors has ignited a storm of skepticism about the authenticity of the conversation. Many commentators point out that the tone of the exchange seems unnatural and some of the vocabulary seems unlikely to be used by someone of Robinson’s generation.
Others also note that Robinson, despite boasting of having left no evidence, essentially incriminates himself on nearly every key point. No timestamps for the messages were released.
