Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer Tyler Robinson was charged Tuesday with the capital crime of aggravated murder and other charges. Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray announced the charges at a news conference at which he said he is seeking the death penalty against Robinson.
In pursuing capital punishment, the state alleges that Robinson “knowingly created a great risk of death to another individual other than” Kirk and the defendant. The criminal information further alleges that Robinson, 22, targeted Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist, for political reasons.
The charging document notes that a conviction under that murder count alternatively carries a mandatory term of imprisonment, either life without parole or 25 years to life, in addition to capital punishment. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent, and Robinson will have an opportunity to contest the charges.
Robinson is also charged with firearm, obstruction and witness tampering offenses, as well as with committing violence in a child’s presence.
Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday, Sept. 10, while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University. The charging document alleges that after shooting Kirk, Robinson hid his gun, discarded the clothes he was wearing, and told his “lover/roommate” to delete incriminating text messages and not to talk to police. It said that Robinson’s mother “explained that over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political and had started to lean more to the left — becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented. She stated that Robinson began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders.”
Utah is one of 27 states (plus the federal government and the military) with capital punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, which notes that the state’s method of execution is lethal injection or, alternatively, the firing squad.
Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration’s legal cases.