Tyler Robinson (22), the man accused of shooting Charlie Kirk, said he killed the right-wing activist because he was tired of his “hatred,” a Utah prosecutor said, citing text messages Robinson allegedly sent to his roommate.
“‘Why did I do it?’” Jeff Gray quoted from the message on Tuesday. “‘I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.’”
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder.
“I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty,” Gray told reporters.
According to authorities, Robinson used a high-powered bolt-action hunting rifle, firing from the roof of a building up to 200 yards (about 180 metres) away while lying prone – a position that increases accuracy. The alleged murder weapon was later recovered in a wooded area near the university.
Robinson was arrested last Thursday in Washington County, Utah, where he lived with his family, after his father and a friend helped turn him in.
Photos posted on social media by his mother, Amber, depict what appears to be a close-knit family, with Tyler the eldest of three sons. Neighbours told US media the family belonged to the Mormon faith.
Relatives said he had “become more political” in recent years and had spoken about Kirk’s event at Utah Valley University, criticising the conservative influencer. He was registered to vote as unaffiliated to any political party.
Memorial service planned
Kirk, founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was shot last week during a speaking event at a Utah university campus. He had frequently attacked the transgender rights movement and gender ideology, describing it in social media posts as a “trans delusion death cult.”
Turning Point USA announced that a memorial service for Kirk will be held on 21 September at a football stadium near Phoenix, Arizona, with president Donald Trump confirming his attendance.
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