What you need to know
- Tyler Robinson, 22, has been formally charged with aggravated murder and six other offences, including obstruction of justice and witness tampering, for the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on 10 September at a Utah college.
- Robinson, who faces the death penalty if convicted, reportedly confessed in text messages to his roommate and in a Discord group chat, stating his motive was a hatred of Kirk because of his rhetoric, saying: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
- Officials revealed that unspent bullet casings found at the crime scene were engraved with anti-fascist and mocking phrases, while Robinson’s mother noted his increased political engagement in “pro-gay and trans rights” before his father turned him in.
- President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are scheduled to speak at Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.
- The incident has prompted calls for a House Oversight Committee hearing on online radicalization and led to discussions at Utah Valley University regarding enhanced security and student support.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom has linked the murder of Kirk to an “epidemic of male loneliness.”
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 18:00
Sheriff: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect agreed to surrender if peaceful; feared being shot
Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, feared being shot by police and agreed to surrender only if it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved in his arrest said Wednesday.
Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.
“He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parents’ house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation.
“He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”
Prosecutors charged 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder Tuesday and announced they will seek the death penalty, revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence connecting Robinson to the killing of Kirk, the prominent conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump.
With reporting from the Associated Press
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 22:09
What is Tyler Robinson charged with in connection with Charlie Kirk’s murder?
The man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk faces seven charges in a Utah court related to the fatal shooting at a Utah Valley University event last week.
Prosecutors filed the charges against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on Tuesday, and a judge read them aloud and indicated he would assign a defense attorney.
Robinson’s family has not commented since his arrest.
Here is a breakdown of the charges against him:
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 22:00
“There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, the central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resorting to violence…”
Former President Barack Obama
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 21:53
Watch: Vance says he owes political career to Charlie Kirk
JD Vance on why he owes his political career to Charlie Kirk
JD Vance has revealed that he owes his political career to Charlie Kirk, praising the deceased 31-year-old as an “incredibly important part of the team”. Hosting a special edition of The Charlie Kirk Show on Monday (15 September), the vice president said that aside from Donald Trump, the political activist was the “most important person in getting us [himself and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] across the finish line”. He said: “ If it weren’t for Charlie Kirk, I would not be the vice President of the United States.” Mr Vance praised Mr Kirk’s “grassroots army” for making him a “credible selection” for the role, something he says he feels “indebted to him” for. “I worry that he is just a fundamentally an irreplaceable figure,” he added.
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 21:45
Turning Point USA claims over 54,000 students have asked to sign up since Charlie Kirk’s death
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 21:30
Watch: Gutfeld curses at colleague for bringing up Melissa Hortman during Charlie Kirk discussion
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 21:16
‘We have to get them off the streets!’: MAGA lawmaker calls to forcefully mass institutionalize trans people
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) is now proposing that transgender people be mass institutionalized because “this is a cancer that’s spreading across this country” and we “have to get them off the streets,” all while claiming that trans women “have an underlying level of aggressiveness.”
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 21:00
Watch: Rep Greg Casar says Trump going after media not addressing political violence
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 20:45
The Daily Show star schools Pam Bondi on free speech
Bondi appeared on a podcast hosted by Katie Miller, wife of top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, on Monday where she vowed to prosecute hate speech on “both sides of the aisle,” saying: “There’s free speech and then there’s hate speech, and there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society…we will absolutely target you, go after you.”
Lydic responded on Tuesday’s show.
John Bowden reports on what she said.
Oliver O’Connell17 September 2025 20:30
