Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray on Tuesday announced seven charges, including murder, against suspect Tyler Robinson in connection with the fatal shooting last week of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, and said he would seek the death penalty in the trial case.
Below is the charging document:
In addition to the aggravated murder charge, the 22-year-old Robinson is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, in connection with him allegedly trying to hide or destroy evidence related to the shooting Wednesday of Kirk at a rally at Utah Valley University, specifically hiding the rifle he allegedly used and destroying the clothes he allegedly wore in the shooting.
Gray said Robinson was charged with aggravated murder, a capital offense, for “intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Charlie Kirk, at great risk of death for others.”
He also said the defendant is believed to have targeted Kirk “based on his political expression, knowing children were present, and would witness the homicide.”
The other charges are related to witness tampering, a third-degree felony – telling his roommate to delete incriminating texts and to stay silent when asked questions by police.
The last charge is the “commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child, a Class A misdemeanor, for committing homicide, knowing that children were present, and may have seen or heard the murder, and did so based on Charlie Kirk’s political expression,” the prosecutor said.
“Following the press conference, I am filing a notice of intent 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.
Robinson “will continued to be held without bail in the Utah County jail” because of the death penalty, he added.
Robinson allegedly shot Kirk, 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, on Wednesday at Utah Valley University.
