A day after Utah prosecutors unveiled formal charges against the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, questions remain about how he planned the shooting, his precise motives for killing the conservative activist and whether anyone else knew what he intended to do.
Prosecutors began outlining the case against 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on Tuesday (Sep 16), when he appeared in court via video feed from jail to face capital murder and other charges. But the charging documents revealed gaps that investigators will likely try to fill in the coming months, experts said.
The details of the killing – and what specifically drove the gunman to carry it out – have taken on outsized importance given the political firestorm surrounding Kirk’s death.
The attack has deepened fears about rising political violence and prompted President Donald Trump and other administration officials to threaten a crackdown on the “radical left”, though no evidence has emerged connecting Robinson with any outside group.
“I would certainly, and I’m sure the public would, like to know a lot more about exactly what motivated him,” said Kenneth Gray, a retired FBI special agent and professor of practice at the University of New Haven.
Kirk, 31, was killed by a single round to the neck during a campus event at Utah Valley University that drew a crowd of about 3,000.
In a text to his roommate, whom officials have said was also a romantic partner, Robinson said he had planned the attack for “a bit over a week.” But prosecutors have offered little detail about his preparations.
Surveillance camera footage captured Robinson arriving on campus around 8.30am, according to last week’s initial arrest affidavit. Hours later, he was recorded re-entering campus and going to the rooftop from where he fired the shot at Kirk, who was seated about 160 yards away during the outdoor event, according to court documents filed on Tuesday.
His lack of hesitation indicated he had conducted some reconnaissance before climbing to the roof, Gray said.
“He had to know where would be a good position and not just pick one on the fly,” said Gray.
