Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, lived with a romantic partner who is transgender and cooperating with authorities, Utah Governor Spencer Cox has said.

“The roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female,” Cox said during an appearance on CNN on Sunday. “This partner has been very cooperative, had no idea that this was happening.”

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed on The Megyn Kelly Show on Tuesday that the name of Robinson’s boyfriend is Lance Twiggs.

Why It Matters

Robinson’s political views have been at the center of debate since the 22-year-old’s arrest on Friday, two days after the fatal shooting of Kirk. The conservative founder of Turning Point USA was killed as he spoke at Utah Valley University on September 10. The killing is the latest in a string of attacks that have targeted members of both major parties.

President Donald Trump sparked criticism after he blamed the “radical left” for Kirk’s death before any details about the suspect or a motive were known. Liberals have since touted Robinson’s conservative roots amid speculation about his political beliefs.

Cox said Robinson’s “ideology was very different than his family” and that there “clearly was a leftist ideology.” The governor’s statement that Robinson had a transgender partner has led some to suggest Kirk was targeted for his anti-transgender views, though authorities are still investigating a motive.

Who Is Lance Twiggs, Tyler Robinson’s Roommate?

Lance Twiggs has been confirmed by the FBI to be the boyfriend of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson.

Twiggs has not been charged with a crime. “This person did not have any knowledge” of the attack and “was shocked when they found out about it,” Cox said on NBC’s Meet the Press.

Robinson lived with the roommate in an apartment in St. George, Utah, Fox News reported.

An unnamed relative of the roommate told the network that the person “hates conservatives and Christians.”

The relative said she suspected her family member had influenced Robinson’s politics in the year they had been dating.

Robinson’s neighbor Josh Kemp, 18, told The Sun that he saw Robinson and his roommate kiss in public.

“I saw them holding hands. They drove off in Tyler’s car. It was about two weeks ago,” he said.

Describing Robinson, Kemp said, “I’ve never seen really anybody dressed all in black with a mask on and I thought that was just quite weird.”

Kemp also described the roommate. “He did have freckles on his face. For the haircut it was a weird haicut, kind of mushroom-shaped one. He didn’t come out much,” he said.

Both of Robinson’s parents are registered Republicans. But Robinson’s political registration lists him as unaffiliated and his status as inactive, indicating he has not voted in the past two general elections, according to public records reviewed by Newsweek.

What People Are Saying

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, asked on The Megyn Kelly Show if Lance Twiggs is the name of Robinson’s boyfriend: “That is the boyfriend’s name.”

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said on Meet the Press: “According to family and people that we’re interviewing, he does come from a conservative family. But his ideology was very different than his family, and so that’s part of it. We do know that the roommate that we had originally talked about, we can confirm that that roommate is a boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female. So we know that piece. I will say that that person has been very cooperative with authorities.”

President Donald Trump said in a video posted on Truth Social on Wednesday: “For years those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop.”

What Happens Next

Robinson is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Cox said “much more” information would come out about him and a motive after the court appearance.