By Paul Britton

Copyright manchestereveningnews

A 22 year-old man has been charged in the US with the aggravated murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead at a university. Tyler Robinson could now face the death penalty. Announcing the charges on Tuesday, 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 with students at a university in Utah and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Mr Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building. Robinson was also charged with felony discharge of a firearm, which is punishable by up to life in prison; and obstructing justice, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here He was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing on Tuesday afternoon. It was unclear whether Robinson had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf, and his family has declined to comment. Robinson was arrested late on Thursday near St George, the southern Utah community where he grew up. Investigators 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, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding one of the nation’s largest political organisation 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. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE While authorities say Robinson has not been co-operating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking. The FBI, meanwhile, said it was also going to look at ‘anyone and everyone’ said to have been involved in a gaming chatroom on a social media platform with Robinson. Investigators are working on finding a motive for the attack, Utah’s governor said on Sunday, adding that more information may come out once Robinson appears for his initial court hearing.