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Utah Department of Law Enforcement

The alleged killer of conservative figure the political commentator appeared to take responsibility for the incident on the messaging platform Discord, a company spokesperson has confirmed.

As stated by the spokesperson, Tyler Robinson messaged acquaintances in a group on Discord hours before he was taken into custody last week in relation to the attack on Kirk at an event at Utah Valley University.

"It was me at the university yesterday. im sorry for everything," reads a communication from an profile that allegedly is linked to the accused, based on the representative and a law enforcement source.

Mr Robinson, who has still not been formally charged, is due to face a judge on this week.

Arrested on allegations of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and interfering with the investigation, he could face the capital punishment.

The Discord messages said to be from the accused, initially revealed by the a major newspaper, are thought to have been written and posted near the conclusion of a manhunt for the perpetrator that lasted more than a day.

The victim, 31, who was a polarizing personality in American political circles and a close supporter of President Donald Trump, was speaking at the educational institution on Wednesday at an outdoor gathering organized by Turning Point USA - the entity he co-founded - when he was hit in the upper body by a gunshot.

The death of the well-known social media personality sparked outrage, with Democrats and Republicans accusing each other of promoting hateful rhetoric, and a hunt for his killer.

Officials have indicated that the suspect and his friends bantered about the shooting prior to his arrest in a online discussion on Discord involving over twenty people.

The spokesperson for the platform clarified that an company review had found "no evidence that the suspect planned this event or encouraged harm on our service".

The individual is said to have been asked by friends about whether he was the gunman, which he did not appear to reject, and there were also jokes from one member about him needing to avoid a fast-food restaurant.

Messages from the profile thought to belong to the suspect also indicate that he was intending to hand himself in.

"im surrendering through a law enforcement contact in a few moments, thank you for all the good times and fun, you've all been so wonderful, gratitude to everyone for all your support," states a message.

It was stated that Mr Robinson was not co-operating with officials but his roommate was among those who did cooperate.

Authorities have been working to determine a reason for the killing.

Official documents examined suggest that the suspect had in the past registered as an nonpartisan elector.

However, as per reports, a family member told investigators that he had become "more political" in the past few years and had specifically mentioned the upcoming event during a dinner.

Among Donald Trump's top officials has claimed there was an coordinated effort behind the assassination but no evidence has been presented so far that suggests the suspect was working as part of a group.

Law enforcement are also looking at online profiles used by Mr Robinson, and any signs that others may have been aware of or encouraged the shooting in advance.

News Agencies

Kirk, a devout Christian, was a strong supporter of gun rights, strongly against abortion, was skeptical about LGBTQ+ issues, and shared false claims about the pandemic.

His supporters said he was approachable, understood their concerns and was able to hold civil discussions with those he disagreed with.

But, his views drew strong opposition from progressives, with his critics calling his comments highly disrespectful to some communities, including the LGBTQ+ community and Muslims.

Turning Point USA, which Kirk co-founded, aimed to promote conservative ideals at progressive US colleges, and played a key role in getting people to vote for the former president and other GOP contenders in the election last year.