Prosecutors to seek death penalty for alleged Charlie Kirk shooter

Authorities in Utah, the United States, will seek the death penalty for the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University (UVU) last week, the state’s top prosecutor has said.

The announcement on Tuesday came as authorities formally charged Tyler Robinson in the killing. Prosecutors issued seven charges in total, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offence in the presence of a child.
“I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” he said.

“Because we are seeking the death penalty, the defendant will continue to be held without bail in the Utah County Jail,” he added.

Gray said that authorities were alleging two “aggravating factors” to accompany the top charges. The additions boost the alleged severity of the crimes, and could be used as a basis for harsher punishment.

They were added “because the defendant is believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk based on Charlie Kirk’s political expression, and did so knowing that children were present and would witness the homicide”, he explained.
Judge Tony Graf said that Robinson would be given a court-appointed lawyer after the court reviewed his files and deemed him indigent. Graf set the next hearing for September 29, at 10am (16:00 GMT).

‘Accused Kirk of spreading hate’
The updates on Tuesday offered the clearest picture yet of the September 10 killing of Kirk, whose organisation, Turning Point USA, has been in part credited with US President Donald Trump’s political comeback.

Gray described university security footage capturing a suspect dressed in black entering the grounds and climbing onto a roof about 146 metres (160 yards) from where Kirk spoke. The individual walked in an unusual manner, “consistent with a rifle being hidden in his pants”, he told reporters.

The suspect fled the roof after gunshots rang out.

Robinson’s mother later identified her son via an image released by authorities. She and his father eventually convinced him to meet with them and a family friend, who was a retired deputy sheriff. He then agreed to turn himself in.
That led to clashes with his father, the mother reported, including an instance where “Robinson mentioned that Charlie Kirk would be holding an event at UVU, which Robinson said was a ‘stupid venue’ for the event”, Gray said.

“Robinson accused Kirk of spreading hate,” he said.

The charging document said that Robinson contacted his romantic partner after the attack via message, alerting his partner to a note tucked under a computer keyboard that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it”.

“You weren’t the one who did it right????” the partner asked.

“I am, I’m sorry,” Robinson replied.

In the exchange, Robinson discussed his desire to retrieve the rifle he allegedly used in the attack, which he said was his grandfather’s. He added that he had planned the attack for a “bit over a week”.

When asked why he did it, Robinson replied, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

‘Rhetoric of blaming’
The latest updates came as fallout from the killing continues to reverberate across the country.

Republicans and the White House have been claiming, without evidence, that the attack was the product of a coordinated far-left “system” that promotes political violence. That has, in turn, led to concerns of a perpetuation of further political enmity, and a possible crackdown on liberal organisations.

Speaking during a Senate committee hearing earlier in the day, Republican Senator Eric Schmitt said the killing was “not organic”.