Robinson charged with murder in Kirk shooting case

Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Alleged shooter Tyler Robinson was charged Tuesday with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.

Utah County, Utah, District Attorney Jeff Gray charged Robinson in the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

Robinson, 22, could be sentenced to death if convicted and virtually attended the arraignment hearing, CNN reported.

His next hearing is scheduled on Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. MDT, and the court will assign a public defender to represent him in court, according to NBC News.

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That hearing will be conducted via WebEx, said Utah Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf, who is presiding over the case.

Graf also ordered Robinson to not contact Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and and issued a protective order for her.

If he violates the protective order, Robinson could face additional charges.

Robinson has met with several potential attorneys but won't be represented by Utah County's local public defender because that attorney is not contracted for cases that involve the death penalty.

The court has not said whether or not cameras will be allowed to cover Robinson's hearings, according to WAFB.

Robinson is from Washington, Utah, which is 5 miles northeast of St. George in the state's southwestern corner.

He was not a student of Utah Valley University, where the shooting took place. DNA evidence has linked Robinson to the shooting.

The aggravating factors of the first two charges are because the state believes Robinson acted because of his political beliefs and because Robinson allegedly knew that children were present and would see the shooting.

The obstruction charges were from Robinson's alleged efforts to hide evidence, Gray said. The witness tampering charges stem from Robinson allegedly telling his roommate to delete text messages and not to talk to officials.

Gray filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in the case, and Robinson will continue to be held without bail, Gray said.

Gray called Kirk's murder "an American tragedy" before he announced the formal charges against Robinson.

"Charlie Kirk was murdered while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights, the bedrock of our democratic republic, the free exchange of ideas and the search for truth, understanding and a more perfect union," Gray said.

Robinson's mother told police that her son had become "more political" and had "started to lean more to the left" over the past year, becoming more "pro-gay and trans rights," Gray said.

She also said that Robinson had begun to date his roommate, who was transitioning from male to female, Gray said.

Utah County officials said Friday they stood "unwavering" in the conviction that "political violence has no place in our society."

"This shooting has cast a dark shadow over Utah County, the state of Utah and our nation," they wrote on social media.

"But in the face of this darkness, we remain steadfast in our commitment to justice, unity, and the rule of law."

A memorial service for the Turning Point USA founder is planned planned for Sunday at Arizona's State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

President Donald Trump has said he will attend the memorial service, according to CNN.