Family and friends of the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk described his politics as veering left in recent years, as he spent large amounts of time scrolling the “dark corners of the internet,” Utah Gov. Spencer Spencer Cox said Sunday.

The suspect has a boyfriend who is “transitioning from male to female,” the governor told NBC News in an interview on Sunday. 

That boyfriend is fully cooperating with investigators and was “shocked” about the alleged involvement of Tyler Robinson, the man suspected of shooting Kirk last week. 

Investigators are still piecing together information about the suspect and not yet ready to discuss a potential motive. But Cox noted that Robinson, who is not cooperating with law enforcement, disliked Kirk and may have been “radicalized” online.

Kirk founded Turning Points USA to bring more young people into politics, and he was a confidant of President Donald Trump, leading to a flood of tributes that included a vigil Sunday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, became prominent in part through his speaking tours, and he was shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.

“There clearly was a leftist ideology,” Cox said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” citing interviews with Robinson’s relatives and acquaintances. “Friends have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture, and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep.”

He pointed to references found engraved on the ammunition used to kill Kirk, which included anti-fascist and meme-culture language. Court records show that one bullet casing had the message, “Hey, fascist! Catch!”

A Republican who has called on all partisans to tone down their rhetoric following the attack, the governor added: “I really don’t have a dog in this fight. If this was a radicalized MAGA person, I’d be saying that as well.”

Utah’s governor says a motive still isn’t pinned down

Cox stressed on several Sunday morning news shows that investigators are still trying to pin down a motive for the attack on Kirk, a Trump confidant. The governor said more information may come out once Robinson appears in court Tuesday.

Cox said the suspect’s partner was transgender. Authorities have not said whether it is relevant as they investigate Robinson’s motive.

“The roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female,” Cox said. “I can say that he has been incredibly cooperative, this partner has been very cooperative, had no idea that this was happening.”

Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of Utah Valley University.

State records show Robinson is registered to vote but not affiliated with a political party and is listed as inactive, meaning he did not vote in the two most recent general elections. His parents are registered Republicans.

“We can confirm, again according to family and people that we’re interviewing, that he does come from a conservative family, but his ideology was very different than his family,” Cox said.

Robinson grew up around St. George, in the southwestern corner of Utah between Las Vegas and natural landmarks, including Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

He became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church, at a young age, church spokesperson Doug Andersen said.

Online activity by Robinson’s mother reflected an active family that traveled widely. In one photo, a young Robinson can be seen smiling, as he gripped the handles of a .50-caliber heavy machine gun outside a military facility.

A high school honor roll student who scored in the 99th percentile nationally on standardized tests, he was admitted to Utah State University in 2021 on a prestigious academic scholarship, according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter that was posted to a family member’s social media account.

But he attended for only one semester, according to the university. He is currently enrolled as a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George.

Cox theorized that his “radicalization” happened shortly after he dropped out of the university.

“We do know,” the Utah governor said, “that this was a very normal young man, a very smart young man.”

“And it seemed to of happen kind of right after (he dropped out),” Cox said of Robinson’s “radicalization.”