OREM, Utah – Teh suspect in the shooting death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk had an “obsession” with the influencer, according to the FBI, investigators revealed Friday. The alleged shooter,identified as Robert Paul Robinson,was taken into custody following the incident at Utah Valley University on Thursday.
the shooting has ignited a national debate about political extremism and campus safety, and prompted calls for the death penalty from former President Donald Trump. Kirk, 35, was pronounced dead at a hospital after being struck by a single gunshot at approximately 12:20 p.m. while preparing to speak at an outdoor event. His widow, Erika Kirk, vowed Friday that “no one will ever forget my husband’s name,” and described her grief as a “battle cry.”
Investigators interviewed a family member of Robinson who said the suspect had “become more political in recent years,” said Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason. In a recent conversation detailed to investigators, Robinson discussed Kirk’s upcoming appearance at Utah Valley University with another family member, expressing dislike for Kirk and his viewpoints.
Authorities said they obtained “good” video footage of the suspect and tracked his movements on the day of the shooting. The footage showed Robinson arriving on campus at approximately 11:52 a.m., traveling through stairwells to the roof of the building overlooking the event, and firing down at Kirk before fleeing the scene. He jumped off the building and escaped into a nearby neighborhood.Following the shooting, Trump publicly stated Robinson should face the death penalty, noting utah’s capital punishment laws and praising Governor Spencer Cox’s apparent willingness to pursue it. “The governor is intent on the death penalty in this case and he should be,” Trump said Friday on “Fox & Friends.”
Erika Kirk, in her first public statement since her husband’s death, warned, “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”