Shortly after law enforcement identified a suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, online investigators began digging into his digital footprint. One profile that drew attention was believed to be his Steam account, which Bloomberg reports is now under investigation by the Secret Service.
The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who was charged with killing Kirk at a recent speaking event, reportedly used “Donald Trump” as an alias on the Valve-owned gaming platform. Sources told Bloomberg that this Trump reference triggered the Secret Service’s involvement, despite Homeland Security not being responsible for Kirk’s protection at the time.
Robinson’s presumed Steam account shows thousands of hours playing games like Sea of Thieves, Deep Rock Galactic, and Counter-Strike. His public reviews on Steam were unremarkable and similar to many others. Investigators have also examined his Steam inventory, which contains items such as hats, trading cards, and other collectibles.
Steam is one of several gaming-related platforms summoned to testify before Congress next month about online radicalization. CEOs from Twitch, Discord, and Reddit have also been called. Although a reference to Helldivers 2 appeared on a casing found near the crime scene, little evidence has surfaced publicly linking gaming, memes, or online culture to Robinson’s alleged motive in assassinating the right-wing podcaster.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) stated, “The politically motivated assassination of Charlie Kirk claimed the life of a husband, father, and American patriot. In light of this tragedy and other acts of politically motivated violence, Congress must oversee the online platforms that radicals use to promote such violence.”
However, leaked Discord messages and interviews with Robinson’s friends have so far revealed nothing that would suggest his gaming or internet history was unusually concerning or out of the ordinary for someone his age.
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