FBI Investigates ‘Armed Queers of SLC’ For Connection to Charlie Kirk Assassination

The FBI is probing a potential “extended network” that may have supported the suspected assassin of civil rights leader Charlie Kirk, who was killed on September 10 at Utah Valley University.

Among the groups under scrutiny is the Armed Queers of Salt Lake City, which deleted its social media presence following the incident. Robinson was reportedly in a romantic relationship with a trans-identified partner with whom he was living with. The suspect’s family and friends have noted his leftist leanings. Bullet casings at the scene bore inscriptions tied to Antifa and trans ideology.

Reports from Data Republican on X revealed that Ermiya Fanaeian, a trans-identified male and a key figure in Armed Queers, has significant political ties in Utah and received the “7 for 17” award from Utah Global Diplomacy. In 2023, the University of Utah hosted a lecture for the group, with a flyer from the event gaining attention on X from Monday night into Tuesday.

The Armed Queers’ interest form describes the group as a “revolutionary LGBTQ organization dedicated to the defense and success of oppressed people’s movements,” built on six core principles: armed protection of queer, trans, and oppressed communities; ending capitalist oppression and establishing a socialist society; trans liberation from the gender binary; housing as a human right; abolishing prisons and police as tools of capitalist oppression; and dismantling the nonprofit industrial complex in favor of a revolutionary movement.

Fanaeian and another individual, Connor, spoke during a 2025 May Day trip about training in Cuba for revolutionary action. Fanaeian has also discussed collaboration between Armed Queers and pro-Palestinian groups in Utah since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack. In an October 2024 UPR article, Fanaeian emphasized the group’s commitment to the Palestinian cause, dedicating resources to it.

Additionally, a 2020 Deseret News report noted that Fanaeian, once a gun control advocate, founded a chapter of the pro-gun LGBTQ group Pink Pistols.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino indicated that the investigation is exploring whether others were aware of the assassination plot. He told the New York Post that the FBI is examining the possibility of a “larger effort” and whether anyone with specific knowledge failed to report it. Subpoenas are being issued to uncover any broader network.

Bongino highlighted “multiple warning signs” about Robinson, including statements from his family and friends about his growing political radicalization and expressed disdain for Kirk.

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