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PROVO, Utah (AP) — Tyler Robinson, the antheral accused of assassinating blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk at a Utah university, was charged connected Tuesday with aggravated murder.
The complaint means Robinson could look the decease punishment if convicted of sidesplitting Kirk past week astatine Utah Valley University successful Orem, astir 40 miles (64 kilometers) southbound of Salt Lake City.
“The execution of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said successful announcing the charges. He Robinson's DNA was recovered connected trigger of the weapon utilized to termination Kirk
Kirk was gunned down on Sept. 10 arsenic helium spoke with students and died soon after. Prosecutors allege Tyler Robinson changeable Kirk successful the cervix with a bolt-action firearm from the extortion of a adjacent field building.
Robinson, 22, besides was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to beingness successful prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years successful prison. He was scheduled to look connected camera for a virtual tribunal proceeding Tuesday afternoon.
It was unclear whether Robinson had an lawyer who could talk connected his behalf, and his household has declined to remark to The Associated Press.
Robinson was arrested late Thursday adjacent St. George, the confederate Utah assemblage wherever helium grew up.
Investigators person spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried retired a hunt warrant astatine his family’s location successful Washington, Utah, astir 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of wherever the shooting happened.
Kirk, a ascendant fig successful blimpish politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, 1 of the nation’s largest governmental organizations. He brought young, blimpish evangelical Christians into politics. His shooting raised fears astir increasing political unit successful a profoundly polarized United States.
While authorities accidental Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they accidental his household and friends person been talking. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said implicit the play that those who cognize Robinson say his authorities shifted left in caller years and helium spent a batch of clip successful the “dark corners of the internet.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday connected the Fox News Channel amusement “Fox & Friends” that DNA grounds has linked Robinson to a towel wrapped astir a firearm recovered adjacent the Utah Valley field and a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop wherever the fatal changeable was fired.
Before the shooting, Robinson wrote successful a enactment that helium had an accidental to instrumentality retired Kirk and was going to bash it, according to Patel.
The FBI besides is looking astatine “anyone and everyone” who was progressive successful a gaming chatroom connected the societal media level Discord with Robinson, Patel said Tuesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington. The chatroom progressive “a batch more” than 20 people, helium said.
“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination afloat and wholly and moving retired each pb related to immoderate allegation of broader violence,” Patel said successful effect to a question astir whether the Kirk shooting was being treated arsenic portion of a broader inclination of unit against spiritual groups.
Investigators are moving connected uncovering a motive for the attack, Utah’s politician said Sunday, adding that much accusation whitethorn travel retired erstwhile Robinson appears for his archetypal tribunal hearing.
Cox said Robinson’s romanticist spouse was transgender, which immoderate politicians person pointed to arsenic a motion the fishy was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities person not said whether that played a role. Kirk was changeable portion taking a question that touched connected wide shootings, weapon unit and transgender people.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said Monday that Robinson’s spouse has been cooperative. He said investigators judge Robinson acted unsocial during the shooting, but they besides are looking astatine whether anyone knew of his plans beforehand.
In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans person recovered themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the heavy divisions that brought the federation present and whether thing tin change.
Despite calls for greater civility, immoderate who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements astir gender, contention and authorities criticized him aft his death. Many Republicans person led the propulsion to punish anyone they judge dishonored him, causing some nationalist and backstage workers to suffer their jobs oregon look other consequences astatine work.
Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.
