Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested 34 hours after Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck on the Utah Valley University campus. He was the third suspect arrested by authorities and was reportedly turned in by a close family member.

(Image: Amber Jones Robinson/Facebook)

Hours before Tyler Robinson was arrested in connection with the shooting of rightwing influencer Charlie Kirk, messages in his online group chat revealed friends expressing disbelief.

One acquaintance summed up the reaction with the words: ‘I truly cannot distinguish if this is for real.’

Robinson, 22, from Washington, Utah, was taken into custody 34 hours after Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on the Utah Valley University campus.

He was the third suspect detained in the case, and authorities said a close family member played a role in turning him in. The news comes as an influencer with 5 million followers infuriates fans with a Kirk post.

Despite this, authorities have provided scant details about the young man and have yet to establish a motive.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that Robinson was active on the messaging platform Discord the day after Kirk’s death, seemingly making light of the situation.

(Image: Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)

The FBI released surveillance images of a slender young man wearing a cap and sunglasses walking in a stairwell on the campus, and appealed to the public for information.

On Discord, someone familiar with Robinson tagged his username. They attached the surveillance images and asked, “Wya?” – where are you at? – with a skull emoji, implying that the man being sought by police resembled Robinson.

The suspect reportedly responded within a minute, claiming that his “doppelganger” was trying to “get me in trouble,” reports the Irish Star.

Another user commented, “Tyler killed Charlie! ! ! !” seemingly making light of the circumstances.

The screenshots of the message exchange were provided to the New York Times by someone who was acquainted with Robinson during high school and has remained connected with him through the group chat, which included approximately 20 participants.

Just hours following his message, Robinson was taken into custody on charges related to the assassination of the Republican activist.

Since that moment, the globe has pondered potential motives.

Robinson was a college drop-out who lived with his parents(Image: Facebook)

The news left Robinson’s acquaintances in disbelief.

“Our governor wants to give him the death penalty dude,” one individual posted in the chat.

Another remarked: “I truly cannot distinguish if this is for real.”

The public has argued over Robinson’s political beliefs, with some forcefully claiming he belonged to the extreme left while others point to potential connections with the extreme right.

Robinson’s parents are both registered as Republicans.

A law enforcement officer stated in an affidavit that Robinson had recently mentioned Charlie Kirk’s scheduled Utah appearance to a relative, and that they had “talked about why they didn’t like him.”

Officials reported that Robinson devoted significant time to internet activities and gaming. The messages inscribed on the bullet casings reference internet memes, which supports this claim.