Charlie Kirk's killer convicted of murder, prosecutor seeks death penalty.

 

Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk's killer convicted of murder, prosecutor seeks death penalty.

Utah authorities have charged the suspect in the murder of American political activist Charlie Kirk with aggravated murder, along with two counts of weapons possession and obstruction of justice.
The public prosecutor demanded the death penalty for the accused, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse on Tuesday.

The vocational student suspected of killing Kirk at a Utah college appeared in court Tuesday to face formal charges, appearing via video link from prison in his first public appearance since the shooting.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of firing a shotgun from the roof of a building on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem that pierced Kirk's neck last Wednesday.

The killing, video footage of which went viral online, sparked condemnation of political violence from across the ideological spectrum, but it also sparked a wave of bipartisan recriminations and fears that Kirk's death could lead to further bloodshed.

Authorities have offered no possible motive for the killing, although Kirk's wife and other supporters were quick to identify him as a victim of their cause.

Demand for the death penalty

The suspect, a third-year electrical apprentice at a state technical college, initially fled during the chaos that followed the shooting.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson was arrested Thursday night at his parents' home, about 260 miles (420 kilometers) southwest of the crime scene, after relatives and a family friend alerted authorities that Robinson was involved in the shooting.

An affidavit filed by investigators stated that Robinson was booked into a Utah county jail on suspicion of murder, felony weapons possession, and obstruction of justice.

Cox said the state would be inclined to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted, but prosecutors would consider the wishes of Kirk's family before making that decision.