Tyler R. has been charged with the murder of right-wing extremist Charlie Kirk. Utah prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the 22-year-old. But how did he get here and what caused his radicalization?
The suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk has been charged, and U.S. prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for 22-year-old Tyler R.
He killed the right-wing activist because he was "tired" of his "hatred", Utah prosecutor Jeff Gray said. Gray relies on text messages the suspect sent to his roommate. "Why did I do it?" Gray quotes the message as saying. "I was tired of his hatred. Some feelings of hatred just don't go away."
Court documents show the suspect confessed to the crime, ARD reports. They say he explained in a note left under his keyboard that he planned to kill Kirk. After the fatal shooting, he confessed to the crime in a text message to his roommate, who authorities say is a transgender woman. When asked by a reporter whether the gender identity of Tyler R.'s roommate, who was also Tyler R.'s partner, played a role in his decision to commit the assassination, Gray did not provide further information.
Messages on the perpetrator's bullets?
In an attempt to determine the motivation behind the murder of Charlie Kirk, many turned to the Internet. On platforms such as 4chan, Reddit and TikTok, Charlie Kirk was the subject of various mockery, ironic jokes and even threats of violence.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced at the first press conference after Tyler R. was arrested that certain phrases were written on the bullet that shot Kirk, as well as on several others found in the weapon. The bullet that killed Kirk was engraved with the phrase "Notices bulge OwO whats this?". This is an internet joke that has been popular in certain circles for years. It is aimed at the so-called "Furry" community - people who play role-playing games in which they dress up as anthropomorphic animals. The mockery also has sexual overtones. However, none of this gives a clear idea of either Tyler R.'s life or his political affiliation.
"Memes are a cultural code that is difficult to understand properly without context. They are one of the most important forms of communication on the internet," explains Jan Claes van Treck, an expert on media and communications, to ARD. These jokes can be both harmless and used for political commentary or even calls for violence and hate speech.
References to video games and memes
One of the other bullets was written "Hey, fascist, hold on! ↑ → ↓↓↓". The arrows are a reference to the video game "Helldivers 2", in which this key combination triggers the most powerful explosion possible. Another bullet was written "O bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao" - the lyrics to the popular Italian folk song, used as an anti-fascist anthem, but also gained particular popularity from the Netflix series "La Casa de Papel". Authorities say the last bullet found had the words "if you're reading this you're gay lmao" written on it - literally "if you're reading this, you're gay", lmao being short for laughing my ass off - generally speaking in Bulgarian "I'm bursting with laughter". The phrase is used online ironically and as a provocation.
Van Trek is not surprised that the shooter left such references - video games and the so-called meme culture have been part of the digital world for many years. "It is not unexpected that the alleged perpetrator used references to a video game like Helldivers 2", says the expert.
An environment in which violence is not uncommon
The question of whether the perpetrator acted for ideological reasons and therefore deliberately chose these specific references remains unanswered for now. However, it is certain that he moved in an environment in which violence, pop culture and irony are closely intertwined. This is typical of digital spaces, Van Trek told ARD. The Internet rewards sharp, quick and effective reactions with attention and popularity. "Real events compete with fictitious ones for people's attention."
Shortly after the attack, Tyler R. himself appeared in chat groups, where he joked about what had happened to his friends, writes "The New York Times" in its investigation. In them, he responded ironically that the police were looking for the perpetrator. When his friends asked him if the man in the photos that had been circulated resembled him, he said that he might be his "doppelganger" who was trying to "get him into trouble". One user in the chat, to whom "The New York Times" gained access, offered to hand him over to the FBI for a reward of $100,000. "Only if I get some of the money", Tyler R. replies.
Are video games to blame for Tyler R.'s radicalization?
Even before Charlie Kirk's murder, he had been the subject of repeated online discussions - some simply mocked him, others showed aggression towards the conservative activist. His controversial statements led to confrontations with him - something that Kirk himself welcomed and expected. He has been mocked in a variety of ways, for example, a very popular video in which Charlie Kirk mistakes a dolphin embryo for a human during a debate on abortion rights.
According to expert Van Trek, however, there is no evidence of "radicalization from video games" because of the reference to Helldivers 2. "The question of how Tyler R. became radicalized and whether it was through violent video games is reminiscent of the pointless debate about whether video games provoke violence," the expert believes. Studies show that while people prone to violence enjoy playing violent games, the assumption that the games themselves provoke violence should be categorically rejected.
Even if the reasons for the attempted murder of Kirk remain unclear, the case clearly shows that real-life violence and the mechanisms of meme and gaming culture are intertwined today.