By Annabal Bagdi
Copyright birminghammail
A man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk has been charged with aggravated murder. Tyler Robinson could face the death penalty if he is convicted of killing conservative activist Mr Kirk. Announcing the charges, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said: “The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy.” Mr Kirk was shot on September 10 as he spoke to students at a university in Utah. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Mr Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building. READ MORE: Farmfoods pulls pasta from all shelves in England, Northern Ireland and Wales The 22-year-old was also charged with felony discharge of a firearm – punishable by up to life in prison – and obstructing justice, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. He was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing today, Tuesday, September 16. It was unclear whether Robinson had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, while his family declined to comment. Robinson was arrested late on Thursday, September 11, near St George, the southern Utah community where he grew up. Investigators were said to have spoken to his relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah – about 240 miles south-west of where the shooting happened. Mr Kirk was a dominant figure in conservative politics and became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding one of the nation’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. Authorities said Robinson had not been co-operating with investigators but his family and friends had been talking. According to Utah Governor Spencer Cox, those who know Robinson said 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 told Fox News Channel show Fox & Friends that DNA evidence linked Robinson to a towel wrapped around a rifle found near the Utah Valley campus and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop where the shot was fired. Before the shooting, Robinson was said to have written in a note that he had an opportunity to take out Mr Kirk and was going to do it, according to Mr Patel. The FBI is looking at ‘anyone and everyone’ who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson, Mr Patel added. During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, Mr Patel said the chatroom involved ‘a lot more’ than 20 people. Asked whether the shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups, he said: “We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence.” Investigators were working on finding a motive for the attack, Utah’s governor said on Sunday. He said more information may come out once Robinson appeared for his initial court hearing. Mr Cox said Robinson’s romantic partner was transgender, which some politicians pointed to as a sign the suspect was targeting Mr Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not confirmed whether that played a role. Mr Kirk was shot while taking a question which touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Robinson’s partner had been co-operative. Investigators believed Robinson acted alone during the shooting but were also looking at whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand, he added. Don’t miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here .
