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Officials announced formal charges against conservative speaker Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin on Tuesday.
Tyler Robinson is being charged with several counts, including aggravated murder.Â
Authorities allege that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson fired a single rifle shot from a rooftop sniper position, striking Kirk in the neck last Wednesday on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Kirk was delivering a speech to a crowd of roughly 3,000 attendees when he was shot. He died later that day at a nearby hospital.
This split image shows suspected assassin Tyler James Robinson, left, and victim Charlie Kirk, a founder of Turning Point USA, on the right. (Gov. Spencer Cox’s office; AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Robinson, a third-year electrical apprentice at a Utah technical college, initially fled the scene amidst the chaos. He was apprehended two days later at his parents’ home, roughly 260 miles away from the university, after relatives and a family friend notified law enforcement that he had confessed involvement in the shooting, according to Gov. Spencer Cox.
FBI Director Kash Patel also revealed new information about the prosecution against Robinson, saying on Fox News’ “Hannity” that authorities are going through Robinson’s digital footprint and the people he communicated with leading up to Kirk’s murder.
Patel also mentioned during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that the FBI was not ruling out the possibility of others being involved in Kirk’s assassination.Â
Investigators have reportedly tied Robinson to the shooting through surveillance video and digital evidence from his social media accounts, in addition to the information provided by his family.
TIMELINE OF CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATIONÂ
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby confirmed that Robinson’s parents have “fully cooperated” with the investigation.Â
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRKÂ
While investigators have yet to disclose a motive, Kirk’s supporters, including his wife Erika Kirk, have portrayed him as a martyr for their movement. Kirk, 31, was the co-founder and leader of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA and a close ally of President Donald Trump.
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According to a police affidavit, Robinson is being held in Utah County Jail on charges including aggravated murder, illegal possession of a firearm, and obstruction of justice. Cox said that the death penalty is being considered, although the final decision will take into account the wishes of Kirk’s family.
Stepheny Price covers crime including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Story tips:Â [email protected].
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