— with a skull emoji. The post suggested Robinson, 22, looked like the man being sought in the assassination.

Robinson replied within a minute. His “doppelganger,” he wrote, was trying to “get me in trouble.”

Another user quickly followed: “Tyler killed Charlie!!!!” The message appeared to be in jest. But it was not until later that night, nearly 34 hours after the shooting, that Robinson was arrested on suspicion of murdering Charlie Kirk, 31, the conservative commentator and activist.

The Discord messages offered the clearest glimpse yet of the suspect’s demeanor in the hours after the killing. They were shared with The New York Times by someone who knew Robinson in high school and remains connected through the chat group, which has about 20 members. The person, who asked not to be identified, said he feared harassment for being linked to the suspect. The Times verified