Tyler Robinson, 22, appeared for the virtual court hearing on Tuesday, hours after he was formally charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstructing justice
The man charged with the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has made his initial court appearance.
Tyler Robinson, 22, attended the virtual hearing on Tuesday, shortly after being formally accused of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstructing justice.
During the proceedings, Robinson remained silent, donning what seemed to be a suicide prevention vest as the judge listed the charges against him. He is currently being held without bail. The news emerges as Charlie Kirk suspect’s ‘confession’ shown in FULL moments before handing himself in.
Robinson did not have legal representation at the hearing. However, the judge assured that he would be assigned a court-appointed lawyer as he was deemed “indigent.” The prosecution has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Robinson, reports the Express US.
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Kirk, aged 31, was tragically shot dead on 10 September during an event at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors claim that Robinson fired a rifle from the roof of a nearby campus building, hitting Kirk in the neck while he was addressing students.
Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, a political organisation aimed at engaging more young, conservative evangelical Christians in politics. He was also a close associate of President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors revealed that Robinson turned himself into the Washington County Sheriff’s Office last week, accompanied by his parents, after his mother identified him from a surveillance photo released by authorities.
On Tuesday, Utah County attorney Jeff Gray discussed a series of messages between Robinson and his roommate, with whom he was romantically involved.
Gray revealed that Robinson had sent a chilling text confession to his partner, stating he committed the shooting because he “had enough” of Kirk’s “hatred.”
Robinson left a note for his partner that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” Gray disclosed.
“When asked why he did it, Robinson explained there is too much evil in the guy, referring to Charlie Kirk,” Gray shared.
“I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” Robinson confessed, according to Gray. “If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence.”
Gray stated that Robinson’s family and friends told investigators that he had become increasingly concerned about gay and transgender rights.
The ammunition used to kill Kirk bore taunting messages engraved on them, which included anti-fascist language. According to text messages unveiled in newly released charging documents, these references may have been a form of trolling.
“Remember how I was engraving bullets?” Robinson allegedly wrote to his partner, as per the documents. “The f—-in messages are mostly a big meme, if I see ‘notices bulge uwu’ on fox new I might have a stroke.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox suggested on Monday that Robinson harboured a dislike for Kirk and hinted that he may have been “radicalised” online.
“Friends have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture, and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep,” Cox informed NBC.
The subsequent court hearing is scheduled for 29 September.