AN ABC journalist has been widely slammed online after he described text messages between Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin and his roommate as touching.
and – days after that left the US reeling.
Stony-faced Tyler Robinson has been charged with Charlie Kirk’s murder
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk pictured at Utah Valley University before he was killed
Utah County officials released charging documents on Tuesday and revealed text messages documenting an exchange between Robinson and his roommate.
In the conversation on September 10, Robinson appeared to admit he carried out the killing.
He described his roommate as his “love” and apologized.
“Im gonna turn myself in willingly, one of my neighbors here is a deputy for the sheriff,” Robinson said.
“You are all I worry about love.”
The roommate replied: “I’m much more worried about you.”
In the court filings, prosecutors said Robinson and the roommate were “romantically involved.”
Gutman reported from the press conference where officials unveiled the charges and commented on the text messages.
He described the communications as “intimate, fulsome, and very touching.”
“But, also, it was very touching in a way that many of us didn’t expect,” Gutman said.
Gutman appeared to be emotional when he shed light on the relationship between Robinson and his roommate.
“A very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect’s roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him ‘my love.’ And ‘I want to protect you, my love,” the journalist told viewers.
Full text exchange between Tyler Robinson and his roommate
TYLER Robinson has been accused of admitting to killing Charlie Kirk in text messages obtained by detectives.
Here is a transcript of the messages, released by the Utah County District Attorney.
Robinson: Drop what you’re doing. Look under my keyboard.
The note read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.”
Roommate: What?????????????? You’re joking. right????
Robinson: 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.
Roommate: you weren’t the one who did it right????
Robinson: I am, I’m sorry
Roommate: I thought they caught the person?
Robinson: no, they grabbed some crazy old dude, then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.
Roommate: Why?
Robinson: Why did I do it?
Roommate: Yeah
Robinson: I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.
Roommate: How long have you been planning this?
Robinson: a bit over a week I believe. I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it
Robinson: I’m wishing I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle…. I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpas rifle… idek if it had a serial number, but it wouldn’t trace to me. I worry about prints I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits. didn’t have the ability or time to bring it with…. I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints. how the f**k will I explain losing it to my old man….
only thing I left was the rifle wrapped in a towel….
remember how I was engraving bullets? The f*****g messages are mostly a big meme, if I see “notices bulge uwu” on fox new I might have a stroke alright im gonna have to leave it, that really f*****g sucks.
judging from today I’d say grandpas gun does just fine idk. I think that was a $2k scope ;-;
Robinson: delete this exchange
Robinson: my dad wants photos of the rifle … he says grandpa wants to know who has what, the feds released a photo of the rifle, and it is very unique. Hes calling me rn, not answering.
Robinson: since Trump got into office [my dad] has been pretty diehard maga.
Robinson: Im gonna turn myself in willingly, one of my neighbors here is a deputy for the sheriff.
Robinson: you are all I worry about love
Roommate: I’m much more worried about you
Robinson: don’t talk to the media please. don’t take any interviews or make any comments … if any police ask you questions ask for a lawyer and stay silent
But, top Republicans were quick to criticize Gutman’s description.
“Legacy media in all its glory,” , the Florida governor, wrote on X .
Jim Banks, an Indiana Senator, was taken aback by the description.
“Wait, what??” he wrote.
Scores of X users criticized Gutman’s choice to use the word “touching.”
“Just draw-dropping,” one X user said.
“This can’t be real,” another chimed.
Gutman has not commented on his choice of words.
The texts also revealed Robinson told his roommate to look under his keyboard.
“I have an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” a note seen by cops said.
“You’re joking, right,” the roommate replied.
told his roommate that for more than a week before instructing him to delete the conversation.
He – around 200 yards from where Kirk was speaking to students.
Timeline of Charlie Kirk shooting
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10
Tuesday, September 9
8:29 am MDT – Shooter arrives on the Utah Valley University campus, as seen in surveillance videos.
Wednesday, September 10
11:52 am – The shooter, described as a college-age individual, arrives on campus before maneuvering onto a rooftop.
12:00 pm – Charlie Kirk is scheduled to host a debate in the UVU Fountain Courtyard.
12:10 pm – A shot is fired at Kirk from 200 yards away and hits him in the neck. The event is immediately evacuated and a man is taken into custody.
1:02 pm – President Donald Trump posts a call to pray for Kirk on Truth Social.
1:37 pm – UVU closes campus, cancels classes, and tells students to leave campus immediately.
1:50 pm – Officials confirm Kirk is in critical condition to the Associated Press.
2:40 pm – Trump confirms Kirk has died, hailing him “great, legendary” in a post on Truth Social.
4:21 pm FBI Director Kash Patel shares on X that the ‘subject for the horrific shooting’ is in custody.
4:30 pm – Utah Governor Spencer Cox, speaking at a press conference, brands Kirk’s death a ‘political assassination. Cox adds there is a ‘person of interest’ in custody and a man arrested earlier has been released.
7:59 pm – Patel, the FBI director, confirmed a second subject taken into custody in connection with Kirk’s shooting was released after being interrogated by law enforcement.
Thursday, September 11
7:15 am – Officials hold a press conference where they announce they have “good video” of the suspect and they recovered the “high-action bolt rifle” in the nearby woods.
9:55 am – Visuals of the suspect are released as officials ask for the public’s help in identifying the individual in the photos.
10:44 am – FBI offers a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in Kirk’s assassination.
10:00 pm – Tyler Robinson is arrested on Thursday night in St. George, Utah, after his dad turned him in. He’s booked into the Utah County Jail.
Friday, September 12
6:00 am – Trump announces a suspect was in custody during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” the president said.
7:30 am – A press conference is held with FBI and Utah government officials, including Cox and Patel, where the Utah governor confirmed, “We got him.” The suspect is identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah.
– with cops initially arresting an elderly man, as chaos unfolded on the campus.
Zinn, a well-known political agitator, was mistaken for the gunman with one person describing him as a “f**king monster.”
He later told cops he wanted to create a distraction as part of a plot to “draw attention” away from the real shooter.
Zinn had previously gatecrashed GOP events and was charged in 2013 for threatening to plant bombs at the Salt Lake City marathon finish line.
Robinson was arrested on September 12 and appeared to admit carrying out the killing in a Discord chat – hours before he was taken into custody.
A Mauser 98 .30-06 high-powered rifle was used to carry out the killing, according to Spencer Cox, the Utah governor.
ANTIFASCIST ETCHINGS
Lyrics from songs sung by Italian anti-fascists were found inscribed on Robinson’s ammunition.
The warning “Hey fascist! Catch” was also inscribed on his bullet casings.
Internet memes referencing furries were also discovered on the ammunition.
During the manhunt, investigators released surveillance footage of who they thought killed Kirk.
And, the shooter’s mother recognized him in the pictures, according to Jeff Gray, the Utah County Attorney.
But, Robinson apparently told his mom he had been home ill on the day Kirk was shot dead.
STONY-FACED ‘KILLER’
Robinson appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday.
During the hearing, he was stony-faced and only spoke to give his name.
He has been jailed without bail and is scheduled to appear in court next on September 29.
Kirk, who co-founded the youth movement Turning Point USA, has left behind his widow, Erika, and his two young children.
Erika revealed that was on a “work trip” with Jesus.
In a heartwrenching address, she described him as the “perfect” father and husband.
“You have no idea of the fire that you have ignited within this wife,” she said, her voice breaking.
“The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
Matt Gutman, an ABC journalist, has been criticized over how he described the text messages between Robinson and his roommate
Charlie Kirk with Donald Trump at a Turning Point USA Student Action summit in 2019
Memorials were created outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona 
