The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week has made a virtual court appearance from the Utah jail where he is being held, charged with aggravated murder.
Prosecutors say they intend to pursue the death penalty against Tyler Robinson (22) if he is convicted.
Announcing the charges, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said: “The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy.”
Mr Kirk was shot on September 10th as he held a speaking engagement before students at a university in Utah, and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Mr Robinson shot Mr Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building.
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Mr Robinson was also charged with felony discharge of a firearm, which is punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Mr Gray said Mr Robinson had ordered his roommate to delete incriminating text messages and stay silent if police questioned him in the aftermath of the Turning Point USA executive director’s killing.
The exact charges filed against Mr Robinson include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and witness tampering. Aggravating circumstances elevating the charges to an offence deserving the death penalty included the fact that children “were present” to witness the murder, Mr Gray said.
Citing information provided to investigators by Mr Robinson’s mother after his arrest in the killing, Mr Gray made it a point to say that the suspect – whose family was known to be conservative – “had become more political and had started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro-gay and trans rights oriented”.
Mr Gray said that Mr Robinson’s mother also told investigators that her son had started “to date his roommate”, who, authorities say, “was transitioning genders”.
Other evidence tying Mr Robinson to the killing include a text message from the suspect to his roommate that allegedly read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.” Mr Gray alleged that Mr Robinson’s roommate asked him at one point: “How long have you been planning this?” Mr Gray said Mr Robinson, who evidently was following news coverage of Mr Kirk’s killing before his arrest, replied “a bit over a week”.
Mr Gray said the roommate asked “why” Mr Robinson did it. Mr Robinson – referring to the late conservative activist – allegedly replied: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence. Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.”
Mr Robinson was to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
It was unclear whether Mr Robinson had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. His family has declined to comment.
Mr Robinson was arrested late on Thursday near St George, the southern Utah community where he grew up.
Investigators have spoken to his relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 390km southwest of where the shooting happened.
Mr Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of president Donald Trump after founding one of the country’s largest political organisations, Turning Point USA.
He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics. His shooting raised fears about increasing political violence in a deeply polarised United States.
While authorities say Mr Robinson has not been co-operating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.
Utah governor Spencer Cox said those who know Mr Robinson say his politics shifted left in recent years and he spent a lot of time in the “dark corners of the internet”.
FBI director Kash Patel said told Fox News Channel show Fox & Friends that DNA evidence has linked Mr Robinson to a towel wrapped around a rifle found near the Utah Valley campus and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired.
Before the shooting, Mr Robinson had written a note that he had an opportunity to take out Mr Kirk and was going to do it, according to Mr Patel.
The FBI also is looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Mr Robinson, Mr Patel said on Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.
The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said.
“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Mr Patel said in response to a question about whether the shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.
Investigators are working on finding a motive for the attack, Mr Cox said on Sunday. He said Mr Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign the suspect targeted Mr Kirk for his anti-transgender views.
But authorities have not said whether they had evidence that that played a role.
Mr Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.
Utah Department of Public Safety commissioner Beau Mason said that Mr Robinson’s partner has been co-operative.
He said investigators believe Mr Robinson acted alone during the shooting, but they also are looking at whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand.
In the days since Mr Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions in the US and whether anything can change.
Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Mr Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics have criticised him since his death.
Many Republicans have led a push to punish anyone they believe exulted in his death, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work. - AP/Guardian
