Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin faces initial court hearing, formal charges in Utah
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Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of firing the single rifle shot from a rooftop sniper’s nest that pierced Mr Charlie Kirk’s neck on Sept 10.
PHOTO: AFP
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PROVO, Utah - The trade school student suspected of assassinating right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university was due in court on Sept 16 to face formal charges, appearing by video feed from jail for his first public appearance since the shooting.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of firing the single rifle shot from a rooftop sniper’s nest that pierced Mr Kirk’s neck
The killing, captured in graphic video clips
Authorities have offered no possible motive for the killing, though Mr Kirk’s wife and other supporters were quick to cast him as a martyr for their cause.
Mr Kirk, co-founder and head of the conservative student movement Turning Point USA and a key ally of President Donald Trump, was speaking at an event attended by 3,000 people when he was gunned down. He died later at a hospital. He was 31.
The suspect, a third-year student of an electrical apprenticeship at a state technical college, initially made good on his getaway in the pandemonium of the shooting.
He was arrested on the night of Sept 11
Robinson was booked into Utah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, a felony weapons offence, and obstruction of justice, according to an affidavit filed by investigators.
Mr Cox said the state would be inclined to seek the death penalty should Robinson be convicted but prosecutors would consider the wishes of Kirk’s family before making that decision.
The killing has unnerved Americans who have seen a spike in political violence in recent years, including two attempted assassinations of Mr Trump in 2024 and the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota this summer, among many other high-profile examples.
Roughly two out of three Americans believe that harsh rhetoric common in politics is encouraging violence
First new glimpse of suspect
Robinson was scheduled to be arraigned on formal charges on the afternoon of Sept 16 in Utah County Justice Court in Provo, but the defendant will appear for the hearing by a video feed from the county lockup in nearby Spanish Fork, officials said.
The Utah County district attorney planned to hold a news briefing to explain the charges a few hours before the hearing. Newly filed court documents accompanying the charges may contain additional information about evidence in the investigation.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Department of Justice would review the case separately to determine whether federal charges should be pursued.
“And of course, if we do, we will also indict and work hand-in-hand with the state to ensure that this horrible human being faces the maximum extent of the law,” Ms Bondi told Fox News on Sept 15.
The governor said on Sept 12 that in addition to the role played by Robinson’s own family in turning him in, investigators had linked the suspect to the crime through security camera footage and evidence gathered from his social media profile.
On Sept 15, FBI Director Kash Patel went further in a Fox News interview, saying investigators had uncovered a text message posted by Robinson before the Sept 10 shooting saying he planned to kill Mr Kirk.
Separately, the Washington Post reported on Sept 15 that Robinson had sent a message via the online platform Discord to friends apparently confessing to the crime on the night of Sept 11, shortly before he was arrested.
Mr Patel said Robinson also is believed to have written a physical note saying he had the “opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk” and would do so.
Although that note was destroyed, investigators have collected forensic evidence that it existed and confirmed its contents through interviews, Mr Patel said.
Mr Patel did not say who had received the text message or whether anyone had seen the written note before the attack.
Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s roommate, who was also a romantic partner, officials have said. Mr Cox described the roommate as “a male transitioning to female”, and said the roommate has been “incredibly cooperative.”
Reuters has not been able to locate the roommate, or representatives for the roommate, to seek comment.
Law enforcement authorities have said they believe Robinson acted alone but are looking into whether anyone else had a hand in plotting the killing or knew in advance of Robinson’s intentions.
Mr Patel told Fox News that DNA matching the suspect’s
