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Utah prosecutors formally brought murder charges against the shooting suspect in the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk.
In a charging document released Tuesday, prosecutors charged Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspect taken into custody in Utah last week, with first-degree aggravated murder. Robinson is scheduled to make his first appearance in court this afternoon.
In a press conference announcing the charges, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said he intends to pursue the death penalty.
“I do not take this decision lightly,” Gray said. “It is a decision I have made as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances.”
Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University.
Kirk was at the university for his organization’s American Comeback Tour. About 20 minutes after he began speaking to a crowd of more than 3,000, a shot was fired from a nearby building. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
In addition to murder, Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a gun causing injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child. He is being held without bail.
Utah is one of 23 states that currently allows for the death penalty to be imposed.
Allegations
According to court documents, Robinson’s parents brought him to the sheriff’s office on Sept. 11 after recognizing him in surveillance images of the shooting.
His mother allegedly told investigators she recognized her son as the person in the photos, while his father said the rifle in the images appeared to match one he had given his son as a gift.
The filing also details messages obtained from Robinson’s roommate a male, who was in a romantic relationship with him.
Investigators said that on the day of the shooting Robinson left a note under a computer keyboard that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
In later text exchanges, Robinson wrote: “I am, I’m sorry” when asked if he was the gunman, according to the court documents.
Robinson allegedly described hiding the rifle and discarding the clothing, and that he urged the roommate to delete the messages and remain silent if questioned by police.
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