Utah Prosecutors Charge Suspect in Charlie Kirk Killing With Aggravated Murder + Video

According to Rokna, citing The Guardian, prosecutors in the state of Utah on Tuesday formally indicted Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, on charges of aggravated murder. Authorities said they intend to pursue the death penalty against the 22-year-old if he is convicted.

Jeff Gray, the chief prosecutor for Utah County — where Kirk was gunned down on 10 September — stated that Robinson also instructed his roommate to erase incriminating text messages and remain silent if questioned by investigators following the killing of the Turning Point USA executive director.

The charges filed include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and witness tampering. According to Gray, aggravating factors that elevate the crime to one punishable by death were Kirk’s “political expression” as well as the presence of children who witnessed the incident.

“This decision is not one I take lightly,” Gray said. “It is a determination I have made independently, based solely on the available evidence, the surrounding circumstances, and the gravity of the crime.”

Citing testimony from Robinson’s mother, Gray noted that although the suspect came from a conservative family, he had recently adopted more left-leaning views, becoming outspoken in support of gay and transgender rights. His mother further told investigators that Robinson had begun a relationship with his roommate, whom she said was undergoing gender transition.

Video evidence of the killing, according to Gray, showed Kirk being shot at an event at Utah Valley University (UVU) just seconds after remarking that “too many” transgender people had committed mass shootings in the United States. (Nonpartisan data from the Gun Violence Archive shows that only about 0.1% of such incidents in the past decade involved transgender individuals.)

Robinson was taken into custody the day after the shooting when acquaintances identified him from photos released by police during a manhunt. Investigators said he ultimately surrendered with the help of a family friend who served in law enforcement.

Before turning himself in, Robinson appeared to acknowledge responsibility in a Discord message to friends: “Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. I’m sorry for all of this.”

FBI Director Kash Patel previously confirmed that DNA linked to Robinson was discovered on a towel wrapped around the rifle believed to have been used and on a screwdriver located on the rooftop from which the single fatal shot was fired. The rifle was recovered near UVU after being discarded.

Other evidence included text messages to Robinson’s roommate in which he allegedly wrote: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.” Gray said the roommate asked how long he had been planning the act, to which Robinson responded, “a bit over a week.” When asked why, Robinson allegedly replied: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Prosecutors also said Robinson discussed his rifle’s $2,000 scope and exchanged messages referencing engravings he made on cartridge casings. Some of those engravings mocked online subcultures, mimicked video-game controller inputs, and quoted the Italian anti-fascist song Bella Ciao, popularized by the Netflix series Money Heist.

Recovered cartridges bore inscriptions such as: “NoTices Bulge OWO What’s This?”, “hey fascist! CATCH! “O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao!”, and “if you read this, you are GAY, lmao.”

Gray alleged that Robinson later told his roommate to delete their conversations and avoid speaking to police. Authorities stressed that the roommate cooperated fully with investigators.

At a press briefing, Gray described Kirk as a father of two and called his death “an American tragedy.” He said Kirk was killed “while exercising one of our most cherished rights — the free exchange of ideas in pursuit of truth, understanding, and a more perfect union.”

Robinson remains held without bail due to the prosecution’s intent to pursue the death penalty. He made his first court appearance virtually on Tuesday, giving his full name but otherwise remaining mostly silent while standing against a white cement wall.

Judge Tony Graf of Utah’s Fourth District Court informed him of his rights and read the full list of charges. Robinson appeared unshaven, showed little emotion, and wore a green “anti-suicide” vest designed to prevent self-harm, which court officers noted is standard in U.S. detention facilities.

The case is tentatively scheduled to return to court on the morning of 29 September for another virtual hearing.