The term ‘groyper’ is currently trending following the death of Charlie Kirk last Wednesday (September 10), but what does it mean?
The MAGA supporter and close ally to President Trump, Charlie Kirk, was shot dead during a debating event on a university campus in Utah.
Shocking footage which has circulated on social media, shows the moment the bullet was fired, as Kirk collapsed in his chair with blood pouring from the wound.
The dad-of-two was swiftly rushed to a nearby hospital, where attempts to save his life were unsuccessful.
Following a 48-hour manhunt for the gunman, the FBI revealed the identity of the alleged assassin on Friday (September 12) as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
The suspect is a Utah resident and was aware that the right-wing activist was coming to his state long before the shooting unfolded.
A member of the suspect’s family told investigators that the 22-year-old had become ‘more political’ in recent years.
But while Trump and other right-leaning public figures have condemned the left for the fatal shooting, some people have pieced together an entirely different political group that the shooter may have been aligned with.
‘Groypers’ appeared to emerge as a far-right political movement in 2019, as followers of Nick Fuentes.
They hold similar beliefs to other alt-right and white supremacist groups, and are grounded in traditional Christian values, characterizing themselves as ‘American nationalists.’
Despite also being on the right, Kirk was often targeted by ‘Groypers,’ who believed his political beliefs leaned too moderate.
The group is named after a racist-coded version of the ‘Pepe’ frog meme.
There is currently no definitive link between 22-year-old Robinson and the ‘Groyper’ movement, however, some users online have found clues suggesting he may be affiliated.
A photo which appears on his mom’s Facebook depicts Robinson dressed and posed in reference to a ‘Groyper’ meme.
And when law enforcement recovered bullet casings they believed were used to fatally shoot Kirk, some included symbols which suggested that Robinson was part of the ‘Groyper’ movement.
One message read, ‘O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, Ciao!’ in an apparent reference to a song which appears on a Spotify playlist aimed at ‘Groypers.’
Leader of the group, Fuentes, has disputed claims that his followers were to blame for the shooting.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “My followers and I are currently being framed for the murder of Charlie Kirk by the mainstream media based on literally zero evidence.
“To all of my followers, if you take up arms, I disavow you.”
He added: “I disown you in the strongest possible terms.”
The ‘Groyper’ movement is firmly against those belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, which has raised questions around whether Robinson really is affiliated, given that he was dating a trans woman at the time of the shooting.
Utah’s Republican governor, Spencer James Cox, has revealed that the alleged killer was in a relationship with his roommate, who was in the process of transitioning.
He noted that the roommate has been ‘incredibly cooperative’ during the investigation, and had ‘no idea that this [the shooting] was happening.’
