Prosecutors announced Tuesday that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, will face capital murder charges, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
The formal filing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern Time, three hours before Robinson’s first virtual court appearance at 5 p.m.
Authorities say Robinson, who allegedly embraced “leftist ideology” and was “radicalized” online, shot and killed Kirk, 31, last Wednesday during a student debate event at Utah Valley University.
The killing has drawn national attention and prompted calls for the harshest punishment available under state law.
President Donald Trump and Utah Governor Spencer Cox are among those who have publicly said Robinson should face the death penalty if convicted.
Utah is one of 27 states that still allow capital punishment. It is also one of only five states that authorize execution by firing squad if lethal injection drugs are unavailable.
The state last carried out an execution by firing squad in June 2010, when convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner was put to death at Utah State Prison.
In that case, five law enforcement volunteers aimed rifles through small openings in a wall at a target placed over Gardner’s chest. Four rifles contained live rounds, and one held a blank cartridge, ensuring no one knew who fired the fatal shot.
Despite Utah’s unique provision for firing squad executions, capital punishment remains rare. Only two executions have taken place in the state over the past 20 years, and inmates spend an average of 34 years on death row before their sentences are carried out.
🚨LE GOUVERNEUR DE L’UTAH, COX, SUR CHARLIE KIRK : « Je veux être très clair : il s’agit d’un ASSASSINAT POLITIQUE. Et je tiens juste à vous rappeler que la peine de mort est toujours en vigueur dans l’État de l’Utah. » pic.twitter.com/Q7ZKHbXyPY [2]
— Trump Fact News 🇺🇸 (@Trump_Fact_News) September 10, 2025 [3]
Under Utah law, the death penalty may be imposed in cases of aggravated murder, including crimes that knowingly create “a great risk of death” to others besides the intended victim.
If Robinson is formally charged with aggravated murder, prosecutors will have 60 days to file a notice of intent to pursue the case as a capital felony.
Such a filing would set in motion a two-part trial process. The first phase would determine Robinson’s guilt, and the second would decide whether he should be sentenced to death.
If prosecutors choose not to seek capital punishment, Robinson could still face life in prison without the possibility of parole under a non-capital first-degree felony conviction.
The case is expected to move forward quickly given its high-profile nature. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are preparing for what could become one of the most closely watched death penalty trials in Utah in decades.