FBI identified Tyler Robinson as the suspect in the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk after receiving key information from Utah’s Lance Twiggs, his roommate. Twiggs provided law enforcement with text messages that helped trace the weapon allegedly used in the attack, according to a police affidavit.
Robinson, 22, was arrested after the shooting at Utah Valley University. The affidavit, filed by the Utah Attorney General’s Office, revealed that Robinson had messaged Twiggs about retrieving a rifle from a drop location. Investigators later found a Mauser .30-06 rifle wrapped in a towel near the UVU campus, consistent with Robinson’s messages.
Twiggs, who shared a Saint George apartment with Robinson, has not been charged. However, his cooperation played a central role in advancing the case. According to reports from Fox News and the New York Post, Robinson had also lived with a transgender partner who is assisting the investigation. It remains unclear if Twiggs is the individual referenced in those accounts.
Motive still unconfirmed as ideological ties examined
When asked by Daily Mail about rumors regarding Twiggs’ identity or a potential transgender-related motive, his grandfather Jerry Twiggs declined to comment, saying he was uncertain about his grandson’s current situation and had never met Robinson.
Governor Spencer Cox told the Wall Street Journal that Robinson appeared to be heavily influenced by leftist ideology. Law enforcement has not confirmed any specific motive for the shooting.
Twiggs and Robinson were both enrolled in local colleges and shared a strong interest in gaming. They were part of a large Discord group made up of former classmates from Pine View High School. Twiggs maintained a TikTok account where he posted gameplay clips and humorous videos.
Quiet neighbors and digital evidence collection
According to a neighbor, the two young men kept to themselves and rarely interacted with others in the housing complex. A third roommate had moved out nearly a year ago. The apartment, located in the Fossil Hills community, is a three-bedroom, two-bath unit, listed at $900 per month for two rooms.
On the morning of Robinson’s arrest, police arrived around 5:30 AM and secured the area. Investigators collected digital devices and evidence from the apartment, while a forensics team documented the scene.
Robinson had briefly attended Utah State University on a scholarship before enrolling in a local technical college’s electrician program. Twiggs studied at Utah Tech University.
