Charlie Kirk murder suspect radicalized online and ‘not cooperating,’ Utah Gov says as motive still unclear: Live updates

Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Charlie Kirk, will host a public memorial service on September 21 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, following the right-wing activist’s fatal shooting in Utah on Wednesday.

“Join us in celebrating the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Charlie Kirk, an American legend,” the organization said in statement.

State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, will be available for the memorial as the team has an away game against the San Francisco 49ers that day.

“It’s clear that we’ve had some major political violence incidents in the last few years and that it is more than we had come to expect, certainly since say the 1960s,” Wendy Via, CEO of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, told The Independent.

“Political violence has been around as long as there have been politics, but I do think that the last few years are different.”

The grandmother of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old who allegedly shot Charlie Kirk, spoke out for the first time Friday, claiming there’s no way her quiet and reserved grandson killed the conservative activist.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Debbie Robinson, 69, claimed she “never” heard Tyler Robinson discussing politics despite his father’s support for President Donald Trump, whom Tyler Robinson dressed as for Halloween in 2017.

“My son, his dad, is a Republican for Trump,” Debbie Robinson told the outlet. “Most of my family members are Republican. I don’t know any single one who’s a Democrat. I’m just so confused.”

When graphic videos go viral, like the recent fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, it can feel impossible to protect yourself from seeing things you did not consent to see. But there are steps you can take.

Social media platforms are designed to maximize engagement, not protect your peace of mind.

The major platforms have also reduced their content moderation efforts over the past year or so. That means upsetting content can reach you even when you never chose to watch it.

You do not have to watch every piece of content that crosses your screen, however. Protecting your own mental state is not avoidance or denial.

Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah told ABC’s Martha Raddatz on This Week that “we need to have a little grace for those who are angry” and grieving Charlie Kirk’s death.

He added: “As they move past that anger, and they definitely need to move past it, we need to think about productive dialogue.”

The senator also said of political violence: “I think you need to take the word ‘radical’ and remove right or left. And radical, if coming from any direction, is not good. It’s not healthy, and it should be called out.”

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspected of killing Charlie Kirk, joked on the Discord messaging platform that his “doppelganger” was trying to “get [him] in trouble” after an acquaintance said the surveillance images looked like him, according to a report.

The day after Kirk was fatally shot in the neck, a former high school classmate of Robinson’s shared the grainy surveillance images released by the FBI and tagged Robinson’s username on the messaging platform, The New York Times reports.

“Wya,” the person wrote at around 1 p.m. Thursday, accompanied by a skull emoji, meaning “where you at?”

Robinson replied within a minute and said his “doppelganger” was trying “to get me in trouble.”

“Tyler killed Charlie!!!!” another user reportedly said as a joke.

Later that night, Robinson’s father also recognized his son in the images and urged him to turn himself in.

The former classmate shared the Discord messages with the Times but said he had not seen Robinson in person for several years. He requested anonymity out of fear of being associated with the suspect.

The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will host a memorial service and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at 6 p.m. tonight.

Among those set to share remarks and offer prayers are:

Speaker Mike JohnsonWhite House Press Secretary Karoline LeavittHHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Director of National Intelligence Tulsi GabbardActing CEO of AGM Kari LakeRep. Andy Biggs of ArizonaRep. Eli Crane of ArizonaRep. Jake Hoffamn of ArizonaRep. Anna Laulina Luna of Florida

The service will be broadcast on C-SPAN.

Charlie Kirk had just kicked off Turning Point USA’s fall tour, debating with college students at campuses across the country, when 20 minutes into the Utah event, the right-wing activist was struck in the neck by a single bullet.

Chaos erupted as panicked students fled the courtyard of the Utah Valley University campus as Kirk, with blood pouring from his neck, fell to the ground from his chair.

The FBI was on the scene within 16 minutes and a manhunt was launched.

Confusion set in after a university alert initially claimed the suspect was in custody, only for Utah officials to contradict the report soon after and clarify that the shooter was still at large.

President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death two hours after the MAGA influencer was shot.

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspected of assassinating the 31-year-old, was arrested two days later after his own family tipped off law enforcement.

The Independent looks at key moments surrounding the shooting.