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PROVO, Utah – The man accused of killing conservative speaker Charlie Kirk made his first court appearance Tuesday, just hours after prosecutors formally announced charges in the high-profile case.
Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter, appeared virtually, showing little to no emotion while a judge read over the charges.
Hours before, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said that Robinson is being charged with several counts, including aggravated murder.
“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said. “As county attorney, I am charged with bringing justice to those who offend our laws.”
In addition to aggravated murder, the charges announced by Gray include two counts of obstruction of justice for hiding the rifle and discarding his clothing, two counts of witness tampering for instructing a roommate to delete texts and stay silent and one count of committing a violent offense in front of children.
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Gray also filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty, meaning the defendant will remain in jail without bail.
“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,” Gray said.
Gray said Robinson is also believed to have targeted Kirk based on his “political expression.”
Gray laid out the evidence against Robinson, detailing his actions taken after the shooting, including discarding clothing, hiding the weapon and urging his roommate to delete incriminating texts.
Authorities allege Robinson fired a single rifle shot from a rooftop sniper position, striking Kirk in the neck last Wednesday on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Kirk was delivering a speech to a crowd of roughly 3,000 attendees when he was shot. He died later that day at a nearby hospital.
Robinson, a third-year electrical apprentice at a Utah technical college, initially fled the scene amidst the chaos.
Investigators have reportedly tied Robinson to the shooting through surveillance video and digital evidence from his social media accounts, in addition to the information provided by his family. Gray said DNA evidence also tied him to the weapon and ammunition.
Gray also highlighted ideological motives, with Robinson’s family and his own statements pointing to growing political radicalization. Robinson had voiced opposition to Kirk, accusing him of spreading hate, and left behind a note declaring his intent to kill Kirk.
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His mother said Robinson “had become more political… more pro-gay and trans rights oriented,” Gray said.
Gray also revealed a conversation that happened before the shooting where Robinson called UVU a “stupid venue” for Kirk’s event and accused Kirk of “spreading hate.”
In text exchanges with his roommate, Robinson also justified his actions as resistance to hate and expressed resentment over his father’s strong support for President Donald Trump.
“The roommate received a text message from Robinson which said, ‘drop what you’re doing. Look under my keyboard,'” Gray said. “The roommate looked under the keyboard and found a note that stated, quote, I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it. Police found a photograph of this note.”
Robinson was apprehended two days later at his parents’ home, roughly 260 miles away from the university, after relatives and a family friend notified law enforcement that he had confessed involvement in the shooting, according to Gov. Spencer Cox.
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Gray said Robinson’s mother saw a photo of the alleged shooter the day after the assassination and noticed he looked like her son.
“Robinson’s mother called her son and asked him where he was. He said he was at home sick and that he had also been at home,” Gray said.
Gray added that Robinson’s father also agreed that the shooter’s photo looked like their son.
“He also believed that the rifle that police suspected the shooter used matched a rifle that was given to his son as a gift,” Gray said.
Gray said both parents then talked about Robinson turning himself in and convinced Robinson to do so. Gray said Robinson also spoke with a family friend who was a retired deputy sheriff.
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FBI Director Kash Patel also revealed new information about the prosecution against Robinson, saying on Fox News’ “Hannity” that authorities are going through Robinson’s digital footprint and the people he communicated with leading up to Kirk’s murder.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK
Patel also mentioned during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that the FBI was not ruling out the possibility of others being involved in Kirk’s assassination.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby confirmed that Robinson’s parents have “fully cooperated” with the investigation.
While investigators have yet to disclose a motive, Kirk’s supporters, including his wife Erika Kirk, have portrayed him as a martyr for their movement. Kirk, 31, was the co-founder and leader of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA and a close ally of Trump.
Stepheny Price covers crime including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Story tips: [email protected].
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