The killing of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been described by Utah prosecutors as an American tragedy, one that unfolded in a way both chilling and deliberate.
Jeffrey Gray, the Utah County prosecutor, laid out the case on Tuesday in a strikingly detailed 45 minute press conference. He said the suspect, Tyler Robinson, a 22 year old resident of Utah, had confessed through a series of text messages sent to his roommate in the hours after the shooting at Utah Valley University.
According to Gray, Robinson told the roommate that he had planned the killing for just over a week, once he learned of Kirk’s scheduled appearance. He used a bolt action rifle belonging to his grandfather, which was later discovered wrapped in a towel in nearby woodland along with three engraved rounds. Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty.
The texts, which Gray read aloud, offered a portrait of a young man consumed by political anger and personal conflict. In the exchanges Robinson admitted he was responsible for the killing, said he was trapped in Orem because of police lockdowns, and asked his roommate, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, to remain silent and seek a lawyer.
Investigators also spoke to Robinson’s mother, who told them her son had become increasingly political in recent years. She described a shift toward progressive views on sexuality and gender, views that clashed with the family’s conservative background. It was Robinson’s mother who first alerted authorities after seeing images of the suspected shooter on the news.
Gray said the decision to pursue the case as aggravated murder was his alone. He dismissed political commentary from Washington that sought vengeance for Kirk’s death. “The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy. I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently,” he said.
Robinson made his first court appearance later on Tuesday. A waiver hearing has been scheduled for September 29.
