Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old suspected gunman in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that shocked the United States, is in custody on suspicion of aggravated murder, along with other felony charges connected to the September 10 shooting.
Authorities in Utah, where the attack occurred in broad daylight on a university campus, said they would file a notice of intent to pursue the death penalty after announcing murder and related charges against Robinson.
Investigators revealed that Robinson has a transgender partner and that he sent them messages following the shooting, saying: “I had had enough of this hatred.”
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray told reporters on Tuesday that Robinson would continue to be held without bond. Once the charges are formally filed, Robinson is expected to appear remotely via video link for a court hearing. He has been detained without bail since his arrest, and it remains uncertain whether he has legal representation.
Police have also interviewed Robinson’s relatives and executed a search warrant at his family home in Washington, roughly 240 miles (390 kilometres) southwest of Utah Valley University, where the shooting took place.
Here are key details on what happened in the aftermath of the death of Charlie Kirk, a close aide of President Trump, on the Utah campus.
‘Political expression of Kirk was targeted’
Robinson is “believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk because of Kirk’s political expression and did so knowing children were nearby and would witness the killing,” Utah County Attorney Gray said.
After the shooting, “Robinson concealed the weapon, got rid of the clothing he wore when firing the rifle, and instructed his flatmate to delete incriminating text messages and avoid speaking to police.”
In addition to aggravated murder, Robinson faces charges of firing a weapon, obstructing justice, and witness tampering for pressuring his roommate to remain silent about the incident.
Authorities have so far released limited information about why they believe Robinson carried out the attack.
“There clearly was a leftist ideology,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, noting that Robinson’s relatives and acquaintances had said his political views had shifted leftward in recent years. They recalled a dinner table conversation in which he mentioned Kirk’s upcoming appearance at Utah Valley University.
Clear motive yet to come out
Utah Governor added that Robinson is “not cooperating” and that his friends had described him as someone who had been radicalised in the darker corners of the internet.
He emphasised in a series of Sunday morning interviews that investigators are still working to establish a clear motive for the attack on Kirk, a father of two and close ally of President Donald Trump.
State records show Robinson is registered to vote but has no party affiliation and is listed as inactive, meaning he did not take part in the past two general elections.
What do we know about Robinson?
Tyler Robinson grew up in St. George, in Utah’s southwest, near Las Vegas and close to landmarks such as Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.
According to church spokesperson Doug Andersen, quoted by Associated Press, Robinson joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — widely known as the Mormon church — at a young age. He has two younger brothers, and his parents have been married for around 25 years.
Like many families in the region, they often spent time outdoors, enjoying activities such as boating, fishing, riding ATVs and target shooting. A 2017 social media post shows the family at a military site, posing with assault rifles; a young Robinson can be seen smiling as he handles a .50-calibre heavy machine gun.
High-achieving student
Robinson was a high-achieving student, once on his school’s honour roll and scoring in the 99th percentile nationally on standardised tests. He won a prestigious academic scholarship to Utah State University in 2021, though a university spokesperson confirmed he attended for just one semester. More recently, he had been studying in his third year of the electrical apprenticeship programme at Dixie Technical College in St. George.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox noted that Robinson’s partner is transgender. Some politicians have linked this to Kirk’s anti-transgender stance, though investigators have not confirmed any connection. Cox added that the partner has been “incredibly cooperative” and “had no idea that this was happening.”
What did Robinson write to his partner after the shooting?
A series of messages Robinson sent to his partner after the shooting of Charlie Kirk has emerged in the investigation, according to the Associated Press.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray disclosed one of Robinson’s texts: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
In other messages, Robinson spoke of retrieving his abandoned rifle: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. It’s quiet, almost enough to get out, but there’s one vehicle lingering.”
He later added: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”
Gray said Robinson had left the rifle behind and even urged his partner to help conceal evidence. In another text, he admitted: “To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret until I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.”
Investigators also found a note hidden under a keyboard for his partner, in which Robinson wrote: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
(With inputs from Associated Press)
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