Key Points
- Utah prosecutors charge 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with Charlie Kirk’s murder.
- Robinson faces capital offence as prosecutors seek death penalty for the killing.
- FBI Director Kash Patel has been criticised after missteps in aftermath of Kirk’s campus shooting.
The suspect in the murder of prominent US conservative political activist Charlie Kirk has been formally charged with his murder, prosecutors in Utah announced on Tuesday.
Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead last week during a speaking event on a Utah university campus. He was the founder of the influential conservative youth political group Turning Point USA.
Authorities said 22-year-old Tyler Robinson used a rifle to shoot Kirk with a single bullet to the neck from a rooftop. He was arrested after a 33-hour manhunt.
"After reviewing the evidence that law enforcement has collected thus far, I am ... charging Tyler James Robinson, age 22, with the following crimes," Utah County attorney Jeff Gray told a press conference.
"Count one, aggravated murder, a capital offence, for intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Charlie Kirk under circumstances that created a great risk of death to others."
Six other charges include obstruction of justice and witness tampering, allegedly for ordering his roommate to stay silent.
"I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty," Gray added.
"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 cited lengthy text message exchanges between Robinson and his roommate, whom he described as "a biological male who was transitioning genders".
Utah County Attorney General Jeff Gray said Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, faces seven charges, including capital murder. Source: Getty / Chet Strange
In one part of the exchange, the roommate, who was not named, asked Robinson why he had killed Kirk.
"I had enough of his hatred," he allegedly replied.
Gray cited the messages as saying: "Some hate can't be negotiated out."
Robinson, who is being held without bail, was expected to make an initial court appearance later on Tuesday.
Gray explained that in line with practice in the county, this appearance would be by video link.
Kirk, a father of two, used his audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for conservative talking points, including strong criticism of the transgender rights movement.
A polarising figure, he often posted edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.
FBI Director Kash Patel has been heavily criticised for his actions in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, including having quickly announced the arrest of a separate suspect, only to confirm they had been released two hours later.
Patel faced a grilling from a Senate panel on Tuesday that included heated exchanges with Democratic Senator Corey Booker.
Patel has come under fire from both the right and the left since being named by Trump to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.
On Monday, the White House said it would be pursuing an alleged left-wing "domestic terror movement" in the wake of Kirk's killing, prompting alarm that such a campaign could be used to silence political dissent.
