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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
Charges have been filed against Charlie Kirk’s accused killer. What
happens next?
By Taylor Romine, CNN
Updated:
1:00 AM EDT, Wed September 17, 2025
Source: CNN
Almost a week after one of America’s most prominent conservative
activists was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley
University, a 22-year-old man accused of executing the attack with his
grandfather’s rifle Tuesday to face state charges.
Tyler Robinson appeared in Utah’s Fourth District Court to face
related to Charlie Kirk’s death, including aggravated murder,
obstruction of justice and witness tampering, among other charges.
County Attorney Jeff Gray said his office will pursue the death
penalty.
Tuesday’s charges represent the first legal ramifications for
Kirk’s death, which has shaken the nation in the United States in
recent years, and as President Donald Trump’s second term has had a
politically turbulent start.
Prosecutors say roommate, a confession to his parents and DNA evidence
on a rifle found near the university will be the first steps in proving
Robinson is responsible for the murder witnessed live by hundreds of
people.
Robinson didn’t enter a plea during Tuesday’s hearing and will
remain in custody without bail for the time being. The court is working
on appointing him an attorney in time for the next hearing at the end
of September.
The hearing marks the beginning of a long road to trial in state court
while federal prosecutors consider their options for charges. While the
case is still taking form, here are the next steps for what Robinson
could face in court:
State case moves forward with seven charges
Prosecutors in Utah County, Utah, used an information document Tuesday
to file seven charges against Tyler Robinson.
The charges include aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of
justice, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury,
two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in
the presence of a child.
The information document is a formal accusation filed by a prosecutor
that requires the court to hold a preliminary hearing at a later date,
when a judge will determine if there is enough evidence to move forward
with charges.
“The purpose of the preliminary hearing is not to determine guilt,
but simply to assure the court that the prosecution has enough evidence
to proceed to trial,” the county attorney said during a news
conference announcing the charges Tuesday.
In , a defendant can waive a preliminary hearing, but it is not clear
if Robinson will go this route.
A waiver hearing in Robinson’s case is scheduled for September 29. A
plea won’t be entered unless a judge rules the preliminary hearing
showed there is enough evidence in the case to move forward.
If prosecutors are able to get an indictment from a grand jury on the
state charges, they will no longer need to have a preliminary hearing
and would skip that step. They haven’t indicated if they are pursuing
this option, but grand jury proceedings are secret and not able to be
made public before an indictment is filed.
The judge also granted a pre-trial protective order for Erika Kirk,
Charlie Kirk’s widow, meaning Robinson will be forbidden from
contacting her.
As the state court proceedings move forward, investigators will
continue to look for other evidence to support prosecutors, especially
as the threat of federal charges looms.
Federal charges for Robinson still possible
While the Justice Department considered bringing federal charges
against Robinson as early as last Friday, according to two sources
familiar with the matter, nothing has yet materialized.
Speaking with , Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the
department is still considering the matter.
“There’s not that many murder charges that are federal,” he said.
“There’s stalking, there is certain deprivation of rights charges
that we possibly could bring. But that goes after going through all the
evidence and trying to understand what was this man’s motivation was
in doing what he did. And if there’s a federal charge we will bring
it — no doubt about it.”
“But if there’s not a federal charge, we’re gonna do everything
we can to support Utah and make sure that they get everything they need
from us,” Blanche added.
Vance Boelter, who is a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband has
been federally indicted for stalking, murder and firearms offenses,
among other charges. This could provide guidance for federal
prosecutors in how to charge Robinson.
Federal prosecutors are also not able to bring a hate crime charge
against Robinson. While the term “hate” might seem like it would
include cases that show anger or dislike towards someone, it can only
be used for specific protected classes, like a victim’s perceived or
actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation,
gender, gender identity, or disability, the says.
As of Tuesday, there is no word on whether a decision has been made,
and it is unclear whether any federal charges would be in addition to
or would replace state charges.
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