Editor's Note: During the investigation into Charlie Kirk's assassination, lawmakers,
law enforcement officials and other individuals have used outdated, inaccurate and sometimes offensive language, including slurs, to refer to trans people. This report includes direct quotes in the interest of transparency. The Trans Journalists Association has urged caution while reporting on the investigation given some authorities' use of anti-trans political messaging.
After law enforcement arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on charges related to the Sept. 10, 2025, fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah Valley University speaking event, rumors about the
Multiple unfounded theories attempted to link the shooting to the transgender community. Kirk, known for his transphobic views, answered a question about trans mass shooters in the seconds before he was shot. One such claim alleged that Robinson
Amid news reports and posts on X, Facebook and Reddit about Robinson's purported trans
Authorities have said Robinson was in a romantic relationship with a trans person and they lived together. But their telling of Robinson's personal relationship with this alleged roommate came secondhand via Robinson's mother, and as of this writing, the roommate has not come forward, making it impossible to definitively state what their gender identity is.
Furthermore, nothing has been proven in court, including whether Robinson fatally shot Kirk. As such, we have not rated this claim.
The roommate has been cooperating with authorities and has not been connected to the crime, according to officials.
In developing, high-profile cases such as this one, information by even reputable sources may later turn out to be wrong — but
How did the rumor spread?
The rumor that the suspect "lived with [a] transgender partner" first originated from a Sept. 13 Fox News report, which cited anonymous "senior-level FBI officials." Here's how the report began:
Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin lived with his transgender partner, senior-level FBI officials told Fox News Digital.
Bureau officials confirmed that Tyler Robinson, 22, was in a "romantic relationship" with the unnamed person, who is a male transitioning to a female, and that they shared an apartment in Saint George, Utah. Those FBI officials told Fox News Digital that Robinson's partner is fully cooperating with the FBI's investigation.
One FBI official told Fox News Digital the individual has been "extremely cooperative," and said the person "had no idea" Robinson was allegedly planning to assassinate the Turning Point USA founder. The person is not currently accused of any criminal activity in connection with the assassination.
The Fox News reporter on that story, Brooke Singman, did not immediately return a request for more information about her sourcing and available evidence.
The next day, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a screenshot of the Fox News story on X without any additional information. Then, in a Sept. 14 appearance on ABC News, Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said the shooting suspect had a "boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female" (see 1:11). Cox repeated the claim on NBC News and CNN (see 1:13 and 0:45).
Cox did not elaborate on how he knew these alleged details, and his office did not return Snopes' inquiry about whether he had proof of his claims. Cox also claimed on Sept. 12 that Robinson lived at home with his parents, before saying on Sept. 14 that Robinson lived with a
The rumor that Robinson was in a relationship with his roommate primarily stemmed from two stories: the Fox News story on Sept. 13 and a story by the New York Post that claimed "a law enforcement source" confirmed Robinson was living with a trans partner. These officials remained unnamed by the outlets.
Corroborating reports published in the following days largely relied on testimony from unverified sources and did not provide any evidence aside from these interviews.
For example, here's what Cox said to CNN's Dana Bash during a Sept. 14 interview about the suspect's purported relationship with his roommate:
BASH: Some outlets are reporting that the suspect lived with a transgender partner. Is that accurate and are investigators looking at this part of his life as a possible motivation?
COX: Yes, definitely, and yes I can confirm that, and the FBI has confirmed that as well — that the roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female.
A handful of stories with varying reputability cited anonymous sources that corroborated Cox's claim. For example, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein claimed to have spoken with a childhood friend of Robinson's who said his family "didn't seem to know about his relationship with a transgender person," and British tabloid The Sun interviewed an alleged neighbor of Robinson, Josh Kemp.
What does evidence show?
Robinson's voter registration records and arrest affidavit listed his parents' address as his own. However, like many young people with differing permanent and mailing addresses, it's possible he lived in a separate place from his parents but kept his parents' address on official documents. Pictures on Getty Images, a reputable photojournalism database, show police outside a house in St. George, Utah, in the days after Kirk's death; Robinson's parents' address is in Washington, Utah — nearby, but not the same location.
The affidavit mentioned that investigators "identified an individual as a roommate of Robinson's" and used "he" and "his" pronouns to refer to that person, with no mention of the roommate's gender identity.
When Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced the charges against Robinson in a Sept. 16 news conference, he cited Robinson's family as saying the suspect was
The indictment described the roommate as a "biological male who was involved in a romantic relationship with Robinson" and includes testimony from Robinson's mother in which she claimed he had been dating his roommate for the past "year or so."
Also, the indictment included two purported text exchanges between Robinson and
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.
Orem is the Utah suburb where Utah Valley University, the site of Kirk's assassination, is located. In a later exchange on Page 9, after Robinson allegedly stated he would turn himself in, the conversation read as follows, per the indictment:
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
The affidavit and Robinson's indictment indicated that
According to Page 2 of the affidavit,
Robinson's roommate also handed over text messages in the indictment to police.
As of this writing, it remained unclear whether the shooter's motive had any relation to reports about Robinson's
According to text messages on Page 8 of the indictment, the two supposedly texted:
Roommate: Why?
Robinson: Why did I do it?
Roommate: Yeah
Robinson: I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out.
Kirk has made numerous anti-trans statements, as well as divisive comments about Black people, Jewish people and various minority groups.
Robinson's mother, according to the indictment, said he had become "more pro-gay and trans rights" (see Page 7). The document did not state whether she said these changes took effect before or after the alleged romantic relationship started.
It is worth noting that prosecutors have not said whether they have verified Robinson's mother's allegation about the roommate's gender identity.
Kirk had called trans identity "one of the most destructive social contagions in human history." He suggested Nuremberg-style trials for providers of gender-affirming care and said, when asked about trans athletes playing women's sports, that the "core of transgenderism is the pursuit to steal and cheat."
These statements may have been what Robinson allegedly referred to when he condemned Kirk for "his hatred," thus revealing a
But the rumors about the suspect's romantic relationship also occurred amid increasing anti-trans rhetoric and policy from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and Republicans across the country.
Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, an outspoken anti-trans activist, said the shooter "was a tr***y, or pro-tr***y" on Sept. 11, using a slur for the trans community.
That same day, The Wall Street Journal reported that a law enforcement bulletin said investigators found "transgender ideology" engraved on bullets inside the rifle they believed killed Kirk. When authorities later shared what they said was on the bullets, they did not mention anything related to trans people.
Progressives, LGBTQ+ activists and writers have criticized conservative lawmakers and certain media outlets for weaponizing Kirk's slaying to target trans people.
"Because Kirk was answering a question about the small number of trans mass shooters compared to cis mass shooters when he was shot, the fervor to label transness as the reason for his death was maniacal," wrote Gabe Dunn for Autostraddle, a queer magazine. T
"Even when we had nothing to do with it, we had everything to do with it," wrote Dunn, who is trans.
While the indictment Utah prosecutors brought against Robinson provided evidence of a romantic relationship between Robinson and his alleged partner — and evidence that that person identified as trans — there are still many unanswered questions about their alleged connection.
It is true that — alongside unverified testimony from anonymous FBI officials and a law enforcement source — the charges brought against Robinson indicate he referred to his alleged partner as "love" and "my love" over text exchange, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship. Also, according to court documents, Robinson's mother said he was dating his roommate who was "transitioning genders."
Robinson's alleged partner has cooperated in the investigation, providing authorities access to their alleged text conversations with Robinson, court records show.
However, the alleged partner has not come forward publicly or confirmed a gender identity. In other words, the only information about their alleged gender identity is from secondhand sources.
As of this writing, there was no evidence to connect Robinson's alleged relationship with his politics or Kirk's assassination. The shooting's motive will be at the center of court proceedings; Robinson made his first court appearance on Sept. 16 and his next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29.