Psychiatrist reveals bombshell 'motive' for Charlie Kirk's assassination: 'Fits the profile'

Published: | Updated:
The Trump team is painting Charlie Kirk's suspected killer as a 'far-left' ideologue hellbent on revenge against America's right.
But a psychiatrist told the Daily Mail that while alleged shooter Tyler Robinson may have dabbled in politics, any decision to target Kirk was less about ideology and more about personal grievance.
Dr Raj Persaud, a celebrity psychiatrist in the UK, said: 'The public often thinks of these attacks as being well-planned and political in nature.
'But decades of the secret service's own research have shown that these people are often dysfunctional... individuals that are failing at life.'
Robinson reportedly had a 'leftist ideology', and is alleged to have used bullet casings daubed with anti-fascist slogans and sent messages to friends expressing his dislike of Kirk.
But the former straight-A student had also dropped out of college after one term - despite winning a $32,000 scholarship - and now appeared to spend long periods at home gaming or scrolling online.
He was studying to be an electrician, a good career but a significant step down from the engineering degree he had previously been pursuing.
Dr Persaud said this fits much more with the image of an isolated and failing individual who was likely blaming the world for his shortcomings, rather than a leftist ideologue.
Tyler Robinson, pictured above, is suspected of killing Charlie Kirk. He grew up in Utah in a Mormon family
Experts say people who struggle with education, careers or romance can build up resentment over this against society at large.
This resentment then leads them to target a prominent individual to 'take out' their anger, such as a right-wing influencer or a presidential candidate, they say.
Dr Persaud said: '[Robinson] would appear to fit part of the profile of someone who was on a slide downwards, but not so far down that he was unemployed... although he did spend a lot of time gaming.
'He did engage in another apprenticeship as an electrician, and an electrician is a great and respectable job, but it is not on the same par academically or has the same prestige as studying engineering.'
Dr Persaud added: 'That moment where Robinson dropped out of university is extremely important. Why did he drop out there? What happened?
Lone wolf actors may target prominent individuals like Kirk because they symbolize what they have been unable to achieve.
Kirk was an ultra-successful right-wing media influencer who had millions of followers and was credited with encouraging many young people to vote for Trump.
Dr Carole Lieberman, a psychiatrist in California, said: 'There is something about these shooters and part of their motive, not their main motive, but part of it is jealousy.
Robinson is pictured far right with his parents and two younger brothers
Robinson had been on an upward trajectory until he dropped out after just one semester in college. He is shown above in his yearbook
'He had won a scholarship, but left after the first semester. Now he's studying to be an electrician, a big comedown from his original plan.'
Robinson was reported to have been in a relationship with a transgender individual, transitioning from male to female, who was also his roommate.
Dr Persaud said this may be an indication the attack was personal in nature rather than political.
He said: 'Charlie Kirk was passionately anti-transgender, and the allegation is [Robinson] shared a room with a transgender person he was dating... so you can see why he took it out on Charlie Kirk.
'It was something to do with his personal relationship... that is more personal grievances than political grievances.'
Robinson's own sexuality is unclear, but he is from an ultra-Republican and religious Mormon family.
In some cases, individuals carry out these shootings because of a sense of grandeur, or an over-inflated sense of self-worth or self-importance.
These shootings could be their way of gaining notoriety or becoming well-known, being aware their image will quickly appear in the media.
Dr Persaud noted it took the FBI 33 hours to find Robinson and they were struggling to find information, at one point even offering a $100,000 reward for assistance.
Robinson allegedly escaped the scene of the crime by running through a wood and was only caught after his father and a pastor convinced him to turn himself in.
Robinson was arrested after turning himself in to the authorities
Robinson was also an active gamer and a particular fan of Halo, Call of Duty and other shooter games.
Dr Persaud said: 'There is a theory in psychology that a lot of these first-person shooter games emphasize the sniper element, and there is something about being a sniper in the games that is very unhelpful.
'These sniper roles may encourage some people who are weak-minded or upset to take up the notion of being a sniper because that makes you a powerful person.'
Robinson may also have been isolated due to the time he spent at home gaming, which Dr Persaud said could have led him to develop unusual views.
'The key point is that with the rest of us, when we have strong feelings about politics, we tend to join a political movement,' he said.
'We would have a conversation about ideas with like-minded individuals, and that would help absorb anger and focus someone in a positive direction, to go canvassing.
'If you had strange ideas, like attacking Charlie Kirk, you would be quickly put off by others. But his isolation means this may not have happened here.'
Robinson is now reportedly not cooperating with the authorities, although his transgender partner is.
The governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, has promised to release further information.
Daily Mail