Death Penalty Now On the Table For Accused Charlie Kirk Shooter

PROVO, UT- Prosecutors on Tuesday filed a murder charge against the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, presenting evidence that included a text message confession sent to his partner and a note written beforehand declaring he had the chance to take the life of one of the country’s top conservative figures “and I’m going to take it,” according to the Associated Press.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody Thursday on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm–causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice–capital/first degree felony conduct, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the outlet. He was, at that time, ordered held without bail. 

The charge leaves Robinson facing the possibility of the death penalty if he is found guilty of killing Kirk last week at Utah Valley University in Orem, roughly 40 miles south of Salt Lake City.

While oftentimes people are not surprised when the identity of a killer is revealed, that hasn't appeared to be the case where Robinson is concerned. 

“I know for some people when their identities come out, and they’re labeled as a shooter, everyone’s like, ‘You could tell.’ He’s not one of those people,” Jaida Funk, 22, who lives in Robinson’s neighborhood, told The Associated Press. They called Robinson’s arrest “completely unexpected.” 

Another neighbor, Robert Sylvester, who has lived on the same street as the Robinsons for about six years, told the AP that he last saw Robinson a couple of years ago when they were helping a neighbor with a leaky pipe. He called Robinson’s family “pretty quiet,’ and said the suspect’s father keeps busy as a contractor, noting, “They’re not unlike most families.” 

Robinson “briefly attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021,” the university confirmed to Fox News on Friday. He’s now enrolled as a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah, the AP reported. 

A man who works at a store where Robinson frequently purchased supplies, Durban Mikelson, said he didn’t stand out. 

“He wouldn’t really talk to you unless you said something to him,” Mikelson said. “Just always very quiet, kept to himself.” 

The AP reported that neither state nor federal records show any prior criminal cases involving Robinson. 

Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, was at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, as part of the American Comeback Tour, when he was shot with a high-caliber bullet in his neck. He immediately collapsed to the ground and shortly thereafter succumbed to his wounds, prompting a manhunt for the killer, who turned out to be Robinson. Ironically, at the moment he was shot, Kirk was engaged in a debate about mass shootings in the country. 

Kirk’s murder has rocked the conservative movement and drawn attention to the political divide that is currently rocking the country. A series of vigils have been held nationwide in the days following Kirk’s assassination. 

On Friday, Kirk’s widow, Erika, gave an emotional tribute to her late husband and promised that his mission at Turning Point USA’s headquarters will not end. 

“To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die,” she said in her first public statement since Kirk’s murder. 

“It won’t. I refuse to let that happen…No one will ever forget my husband’s name. And I will make sure of it. It will become stronger, bolder, louder, and greater than ever. My husband’s mission will not end. Not even for a moment,” Erika added. “My husband’s voice will remain, and it will ring out louder and more clearly than ever. And his wisdom will endure.” 

Since Kirk’s death, campus chapter requests for Turning Point USA have surged to over 32,000, Fox News Digital reports. In addition, a GiveSendGo to benefit the family has raised over $4.7 million. 

“GiveSendGo has always been a place where people can immediately respond to crises. Within hours of Charlie’s tragic death, friends and supporters had set up a campaign. The fact that it took off so quickly shows just how deeply his life impacted people, and how urgent the desire was to support his family,” GiveSendGo co-founder and co-CEO Heather Wilson told Fox News.