Tyler Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and several other counts after he allegedly shot Charlie Kirk to death, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Additionally, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said he intends to seek the death penalty.
“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 at a press conference on Tuesday, September 15, according to NBC News.
Robinson, 22, was identified as the suspect after his family recognized him in photos shared after Kirk was killed. “Robinson’s mother expressed concern to her husband that the suspect shooter looked like Robinson,” Gray said during the press conference.
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Gray added that Robinson’s mother told investigators that her son “had become more political” over the last year and “started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro gay and trans rights oriented.”
Prior to his charges being revealed, FBI Director Kash Patel said his Discord group chat members will be questioned amid the investigation.
BBC reported that while testifying in front of the U.S. Senate Oversight Committee on Tuesday, Patel said the FBI was planning to question the members of a group chat that includes Robinson on Discord.
After Robinson allegedly shot Kirk to death at a rally at Utah Valley University on September 10, reports circulated that he admitted to committing the crime in the group chat. A spokesperson for Discord confirmed to CBS News that Robinson appeared to make the admission on the chat platform.
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“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all,” a message from Robinson’s alleged account read, according to the spokesperson. “It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this.”
While speaking to Patel, Senator Josh Hawley asked if there were 20 people in the group chat. Patel then revealed that there were “a lot more,” per BBC.
Patel told the Senate panel that investigators plan to speak with “anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat,” and law enforcement is planning to run “out every lead.”
Kirk, a right-wing political activist, died at the age of 31 when he was manning his signature “Prove Me Wrong” table at the college. He was fatally shot while speaking to the crowd as part of his American Comeback Tour.
On Monday, September 15, Patel appeared on Fox & Friends and explained that the FBI found DNA matching Robinson on a towel that was allegedly wrapped around a gun, which was left in a wooded area close to the Orem, Utah, campus. He added that Robinson’s DNA was also found on a screwdriver that was left on a rooftop.
“I can report today that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody,” he said at the time.
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While the towel in question has already been processed, the gun is being analyzed by experts at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Maryland.
Additionally, Patel said he believes Kirk’s murder was premeditated. He then noted that Robinson appears to have different political beliefs than Kirk’s conservative values, which may have led to the killing.
“His family has collectively told investigators that he subscribed to left-wing ideology, and even more so in these last couple of years, and he had a text message exchange — he, the suspect, with another individual — in which he claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for,” he said.
