猶他縣檢察官就柯克槍擊案嫌疑人舉行記者會

OK, ladies and gentlemen, we're about to begin. My name is Richard Pyatt. I'm the communications manager for Utah County. I'm working with the Utah County attorney, Jeff Gray, as he handles this case and as the county deals with the publicity surrounding this case. We appreciate your being here. Jeff will enumerate the charges and detail what the county's findings are up to this point. And then he will take questions. The number of questions may be limited, however. I may cut it off. I may assist him in helping to pick the people who are asking the question. We just ask that you keep the questions to the process of what we're talking about and refrain from asking questions that speculate or get into the political dynamic of the case. For Utah County, this is a murder case. We're trying a murder case. We're trying to keep the questions to that. But I understand that you're under pressure and have a lot of different questions and we'll try to answer them. We're joined today by our sheriff and our prosecution team and our county commissioners. Jeff is going to be the only one speaking right now. And I'll introduce right now county attorney Jeff Gray. Charlie Kirk的殺害是一場美國的悲劇。 Charlie Kirk被殺害 while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights. The bedrock of our democratic republic. The free exchange of ideas in a search for truth, understanding and a more perfect union. It is also an offense against the state and to the peace and enjoyment of the people of Utah and of all those who visit here. But Charlie Kirk's murder also strikes a more personal and intimate chord. Charlie Kirk was first and foremost a husband and a father to two beautiful young children. He was a son. He was a brother and a friend. Like all murders, the senseless and needless taking of Charlie Kirk's life has shattered the lives of those he loved and those who loved him. To Charlie's wife, Erica, his two young children, his parents, his family, and his friends, I express my sincere condolences and offer my heartfelt prayers on your behalf. I also want to express my concern for everyone who was at Charlie's Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University and all who have been impacted by this tragedy. As county attorney, I am charged with bringing justice to those who offend our laws. I am charged with bringing justice for those who are harmed. I am charged with bringing justice for Charlie Kirk. I am committed to these aims. I take this responsibility seriously. Today, after reviewing the evidence that law enforcement has collected thus far, I am filing a criminal information charging Tyler James Robinson, age 22, with the following crimes. Count one, aggravated murder, a capital offense for intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Charlie Kirk under circumstances that created a great risk of death to others. Count two, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony. The state is further alleging aggravating factors on counts one and two because the defendant is believed to have targeted Charlie Kirk based on Charlie Kirk's political expression and did so knowing that children were present and would witness the homicide. The state is also charging defendant with Count three, obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony for moving and concealing the rifle used in the shooting. Count four, obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony for disposing the clothing he wore during the shooting. Count five, witness tampering, a third-degree felony for directing his roommate to delete his incriminating texts. Count six, witness tampering, a third-degree felony for directing his roommate to stay silent if police questioned him. And count seven, commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child, a class A misdemeanor for committing homicide knowing that children were present and may have seen or heard the murder and did so based on Charlie Kirk's political expression. Also, following the press conference, I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty. I do not take this decision lightly and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime. Because we are seeking the death penalty, the defendant will continue to be held without bail in the Utah County Jail. Turning to the ten-page information, these are the allegations. On September 10, 2025, at approximately 12.23 p.m., Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking to a large crowd on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Police found the suspected murder weapon, a bolt-action .30-06 rifle, nearby. Over the next approximately 33 hours, police conducted a manhunt for the shooter until the evening of September 11, 2025, when Tyler James Robinson surrendered to police at the Washington County Sheriff's Office. DNA consistent with Robinson was found on the rifle's trigger. After shooting Mr. Kirk, Robinson hid the gun, discarded the clothing he wore when he fired the rifle, and told his roommate to delete incriminating text messages and not talk to police. Children were present at the time of the shooting. The shooting. Turning Point USA, a non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk, organized a public outdoor event to be held at noon on September 10, 2025, at UVU. The event was the first in a series of similar events to be held at college campuses nationwide. Mr. Kirk is a well-known conservative activist famous for these type of events where he discusses various political issues and debates with audience members. His events and comments have garnered a significant number of supporters and drawn the ire of many who disagree with his political views. The event at UVU was announced far in advance and garnered significant publicity and interest. Consequently, several hundred people attended. Mr. Kirk was interacting with a crowd before the event officially got underway. Then at approximately noon, Mr. Kirk seated himself under a portable canopy behind a table and microphone. He began speaking to the crowd and fielding questions from attendees, a format Mr. Kirk commonly used at his events. Mr. Kirk allowed his questioners to approach a microphone positioned directly in front of him. Mr. Kirk's team members were very close to him on his right and left, as well as some behind his canopy and others at various close locations near him. The large crowd surrounded Mr. Kirk on three sides. Temporary metal fencing separated attendees from Mr. Kirk by only a matter of feet. Directly above and behind Mr. Kirk was the UVU Hall of Flags, an indoor walkway spanning several hundred feet with floor-to-ceiling glass windows which overlooked the plaza where Mr. Kirk was seated. People were in the walkway at the time of the shooting. Approximately 15 minutes into the event, Mr. Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings by transgender individuals. When a gunshot rang out, the bullet struck Mr. Kirk in the neck. He slumped to the ground almost immediately. The bullet's trajectory passed closely to several other individuals beside Mr. Kirk, including the questioner who was standing directly in front of Mr. Kirk. Children were visible near Mr. Kirk's stage when he was shot. Mr. Kirk was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared deceased. The medical examiner's report is still pending. So UVU surveillance. So at the moment of the shot, a UVU police officer was watching the crowd from an elevated vantage point. As soon as he heard the shot, he began to scan the area for threats. Believing the shot came from a rifle because of its sound, he looked for potential sniper positions. He noted a roof area approximately 160 yards away from Mr. Kirk as a potential shooting position and rushed there to look for evidence. The suspected shooting position is adjacent to an open, publicly accessible walkway. To access the suspected location, a person must climb over a railing and then drop to the roof only slightly below. The UVU officer climbed over the railing and down onto the roof. He then walked to the suspected shooting position and confirmed a clear shooting corridor between the position and Mr. Kirk's seat. He also noticed markings in the gravel rooftop consistent with a sniper having lain on the roof, impressions in the gravel potentially left by the elbows, knees and feet of a person in a prone shooting position. Police reviewed surveillance from the camera covering the roof and discovered that it recorded an individual dressed in dark clothing cross the railing from the public walkway and drop onto the roof at approximately 12.15 p.m. Although the individual moved out of the camera's view for a short time, the camera again captured the individual running across the roof and then low-crawling to the area the UVU officer recognized as where the suspected sniper had dropped into a prone shooting position. After a short time, which matches the known time of the shot, the individual arose and ran across the roof to the northeast. This discovery led to an intensive review of UVU surveillance recordings to attempt to track and identify the suspect. Surveillance revealed the following. At approximately 11.51 a.m., the suspect entered campus from the north. He is seen wearing a black shirt with an American flag in the center. A dark baseball cap and large sunglasses. Throughout the surveillance, the suspect keeps his head down and rarely raises his head enough to get a clear image of his face. As he proceeds across the campus, he is seen walking with an unusual gait. The suspect walks with very little bending in his right leg, consistent with a rifle being hidden in his pants. This unusual gait continues until the suspect is seen crossing the railway off the open walkway and onto the roof, where he leaves the camera's view. A camera later captures the suspect as he runs across the roof to the suspected shooting position. Immediately after the shot was fired, a camera captures the suspect running across the roof carrying an item whose shape is consistent with a rifle. The suspect is then seen climbing down from the roof. He appears to drop the item he was carrying as he hits the ground in a controlled fall. He then picks up the item and runs toward the northeast end of campus. Expanded crime scene investigation. Law enforcement officers follow the suspect's escape path to the northeast end of campus, where they believe the suspect left campus and entered a wooded area. In that wooded area, investigators found a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel. The rifle contained one spent round and three unspent rounds. This is consistent with the facts officers observed at the time of and immediately after the shootings. No shell casings were found on the roof, suggesting a bolt-action rather than an auto-loading weapon, and only a single round was fired. Each round in the rifle contained an etched inscription as follows. The fired cartridge was etched No Tice's Bulge O.W.O. What's This? The second cartridge that was again not spent, the last three were not spent, were not fired. The second Hey Fascist Catch with arrow symbols. The third cartridge, Oh Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Ciao, Ciao. The fourth cartridge, If You Read This, You Are Gay, LMAO. The rifle, ammunition rounds, and towel were sent for forensic processing. DNA consistent with defendant was found on the trigger, other parts of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two of the three unfired cartridges, and the towel. Law enforcement was unable to immediately locate the shooter, so they published photos of the shooter from the UVU surveillance cameras and asked for the public's help to identify him. Meanwhile, law enforcement continued to try to identify the shooter through other means. The Washington County Investigation. On the evening of September 11th, 2025, as law enforcement continued their investigation, Tyler James Robinson went to the Washington County Sheriff's Office with his parents and a family friend to turn himself in. Robinson's mother stated the following to police. On September 11th, 2025, the day after the shooting, Robinson's mother saw the photo of the shooter in the news and thought the shooter looked like her son. Robinson's mother called her son and asked him where he was. He said he was at home sick and that he had also been at home sick on September 10th. Robinson's mother expressed concern to her husband that the suspect shooter looked like Robinson. Robinson's father agreed. Robinson's mother explained that over the last year or so, Robinson had become more political and had started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented. She stated that Robinson began to date his roommate, a biological male who was transitioning genders. This resulted in several discussions with family members, but especially between Robinson and his father, who have very different political views. In one conversation before the shooting, Robinson mentioned that Charlie Kirk would be holding an event at UVU, which Robinson said was a stupid venue for the event. Robinson accused Kirk of spreading hate. Robinson's father reported that when his wife showed him the surveillance image of the suspected shooter in the news, he agreed that it looked like their son. He also believed that the rifle that police suspected the shooter used matched a rifle that was given to his son as a gift. As a result, Robinson's father contacted his son and asked him to send a photo of the rifle. Robinson did not respond. However, Robinson's father spoke on the phone with Robinson. Robinson implied that he planned to take his own life. Robinson's parents were able to convince him to meet at their home. As they discussed the situation, Robinson implied that he was the shooter and stated that he couldn't go to jail and just wanted to end it. When asked why he did it, Robinson explained there was too much evil and the guy, referring to Charlie Kirk, spreads too much hate. They talked about Robinson turning himself in and convinced Robinson to speak with a family friend who is a retired deputy sheriff. At Robinson's father's request, the family friend met with Robinson and his parents and convinced Robinson to turn himself in. The family friend spoke to police and reported telling Robinson that it would be best if he brought all evidence with him to the sheriff's office to avoid police having to search his parents' home. The friend also asked Robinson if he had any clothes that were related to what he did. Robinson replied that he had disposed of the clothes in different areas. The Roommate Police interviewed Robinson's roommate, a biological male who was involved in a romantic relationship with Robinson. The roommate told police that the roommate received messages from Robinson about the shooting and he did provide those messages to police. On September 10, 2025, the roommate received a text message from Robinson which said, 'Drop what you're doing. Look under my keyboard.' The roommate looked under the keyboard and found a note that stated, 'I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it.' Police found a photograph of this note. The following exchange, text exchange then took place. After reading the note, the roommate responded, 'What? You're joking, right?' 'Robinson, I am still okay, my love, but am stuck in Orem for a little while longer yet. Shouldn't be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still. To be honest, I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you.' 'Roommate, you weren't the one who did it, right?' 'Robinson, I am. I am. I'm sorry.' 'Roommate, I thought they caught the person.' 'Robinson, no. They grabbed some crazy old dude then interrogated someone in similar clothing. I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. It's quiet almost enough to get out, but there's one vehicle lingering.' 'Roommate, why?' 'Robinson, why did I do it?' 'Roommate, yeah.' 'Robinson, I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out. If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence.' 'Going to attempt to retrieve it again. Hopefully they have moved on. I haven't seen anything about them finding it.' 'Roommate, how long have you been planning this?' 'Robinson, a bit over a week, I believe. I can get close to it, but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don't want to chance it.' 'Robinson again, I'm wishing I had circled back and grabbed it as soon as I got to my vehicle. I'm worried what my old man would do if I didn't bring back Grandpa's rifle.' 'ID EK, if it's had a serial number, but it wouldn't trace to me. I worry about Prince I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits, didn't have the ability or time to bring it with. I might have to abandon it and hope they don't find Prince.' 'How the F will I explain losing it to my old man?' 'Only thing I left was the rifle wrapped in a towel. Remember how I was engraving bullets?' 'The F in messages are mostly a big meme. If I see Notice Bulge UWU on Fox News, I might have a stroke all right. I'm going to have to leave it. 'That really effing sucks.' 'Judging from today, I'd say Grandpa's gun does just fine.' 'ID K.' 'I think that was a $2K scope.' 'Wink wink.' 'Robinson.' 'Robinson again.' 'Delete this exchange.' 'Again Robinson.' 'My dad wants photos of the rifle.' 'He says Grandpa wants to know who has what.' 'The F has released a photo of the rifle and it is very unique.' 'He's calling me RN.' 'Not answering.' 'Robinson.' 'Since Trump got into office, my dad has been pretty diehard MAGA.' 'Robinson.' 'I'm going to turn myself in willingly.' 'One of my neighbors here is a deputy for the sheriff.' 'Again, you are all I worry about love.' 'That came from Robinson.' 'Roommate.' 'I'm much more worried about you.' 'Robinson.' 'Don't talk to the media please.' 'Don't take any interviews or make any comments.' 'If any police ask you questions, ask for a lawyer and stay silent.' 'The search for Robinson's residence.' 'Police executed a search warrant on Robinson's residence.' 'During that search, police discovered a shell casing with etchings 'like the etchings found on the shells 'in the rifle near UVU.' 'Police also found several target boards 'with bullet holes in Robinson's home.' 'Now, as I stated in the beginning 'when I read those allegations, 'these are allegations.' 'And like the evidence set forth in this statement, 'those allegations, 'what you've heard from the media, 'even from state and federal officials, 'has not been tested in the crucible of a jury trial.' 'I understand the public's desire to know the facts.' 'My own family members have pressed me for information.' 'Why are we reluctant to share the details 'of the investigation itself and comment on the case?' 'Because I want to ensure a fair and impartial trial.' 'I became a prosecutor because of my love 'for the ideals of this great country 'and the principles embedded in our Constitution.' 'The free exchange of ideas and opinions 'is critical to this great American experiment.' 'But so too are the protections afforded to the accused 'found in the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.' 'The right against self-incrimination, 'the right to a speedy and public trial, 'the right to the effective assistance of counsel, 'the right to confront one's accusers, 'and the right to compel the attendance of witnesses.' 'And perhaps most importantly, 'under our Constitution, 'the accused is presumed innocent 'until we, the state, 'prove to an impartial jury of defendant's peers 'his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.' That jury cannot rely on our allegations, on what they hear in the news, or on what they hear from a public official. The jury is the sole trier of fact, and they will ultimately determine those facts based on evidence a trial judge has determined is admissible. Again, as prosecutors, we bear the burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. But make no mistake, we welcome this burden. I'd like to now introduce my trial team who will be charged with prosecuting the case. This is a veteran and expert team of some of the state's best trial attorneys. Chad Gruenander, who is one of my two chief deputies. Ryan McBride and David Sturgill on the far right there. And those two were very much involved in preparing search warrants, did a phenomenal job, worked day and night to see that accomplished well after Robinson was taken into custody. Also Lauren Hunt, she is one of our special victims prosecutors. And Chris Ballard, my second chief deputy who will be handling motions. I'm going to explain just the procedural steps. We don't have a grand jury system like the federal courts do. It's a preliminary hearing system. So the arrest and filing of the criminal information are merely the first steps in the criminal justice process. Today at 3 p.m., the defendant will appear before a judge in the Utah 4th District Court for his first appearance to be informed of these charges and to ensure that he has an attorney to represent him. The hearing will be brief. The judge will conduct that first appearance virtually via Webex. This is not unusual. In the 4th District, all felony first appearances for defendants who are in custody are held virtually. A link to that hearing is available for media on the Utah State Courts X account at Utah State Courts. Now following defendant's first appearance, he will be entitled to a preliminary hearing. At that hearing, the state will be required to show probable cause that defendant committed the crimes. 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. If a judge finds probable cause and binds the case over for trial, an arraignment hearing will be held. At that hearing, a judge will again inform defendant of the charges against him and require him to enter a plea to each charge. The next step following the arraignment is an opportunity for the parties to file any relevant motions and then ultimately the trial itself. This case has generated a tremendous amount of interest across our nation and even the world. The public's desire for information is understandable. But it bears reiterating that this case will be tried in a court of law consistent with our Constitution, not the court of public opinion. Thus, we will only discuss the case with the press occasionally. It will not be a day-to-day or even week-to-week occurrence. But we will only do so in a manner as not to jeopardize the fair trial process. Before I conclude, I want to express my appreciation for the tireless work of our local, state and federal law enforcement officers. They have an extremely difficult, dangerous and often thankless job. I'm proud to acknowledge the exceptional work they do every day, and particularly their work on this case. It was truly a marvel to witness. Their skilled work and dedication have brought us to this point. I'm also grateful for the leadership demonstrated by Bo Mason, the Commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, FBI Special Agent in Charge Rob Bowles, Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, our local police chiefs, and Felice John Vitti, the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah. I'm also grateful for the support of our Governor Spencer Cox and our Attorney General Derek Brown, who is standing behind me today and has offered his support and resources as we proceed to trial. Finally, I want to thank our Utah County Commissioners, Amelia Powers Gardner, Brandon Gordon and Skyler Beltran. They too have pledged to assist with the resources needed to successfully prosecute this case. I will now take a few questions. For questions, ladies and gentlemen, just really fast, if you could identify yourself and what organization. Okay. They are still looking into it. It's an undergoing investigation. They haven't ruled that out. I don't have that information. I talked to officials from both administrations, but I was not pressured to make a decision. I understood their feelings on it because it was in the news, but we didn't really discuss that. I'm going to stick to what I just stated in my public... in our information. I think that is pretty much set forth there. Again, we don't have any information at this point of additional suspects, but I know that our law enforcement agencies are continuing to follow leads. I can't comment on that. I'm not aware of all their investigation. I just know that these agencies are continuing to investigate this case and follow all leads. That's up to the feds. They have different charges, and they're reviewing the evidence, and after they review the evidence and the law, they could file charges, but I'm not privy to exactly what they're looking at. Again, I'm not prepared to answer that question. It's part of our code, and so we charge that. Ultimately, a judge will determine that at trial. Again, I'm not going to comment on that. Okay. I am not aware of that information. It's, again, still under investigation. I am not going to comment on that. Well, as attorneys, we typically like to control that information to preserve an impartial jury and a fair trial. Excuse me? I don't have that information. What the family said is what I provided. From where? That the defense will be from Utah County? I couldn't predict what they're going to do. That will be for a jury to decide. Again, I'm not going to comment on the evidence. Again, I'm not going to comment on other than the facts that I... or the evidence that we've gathered so far. I don't believe so. This is part of a public document that we have to file as we file a criminal information. We have to file a probable cause statement. That's a public document, and so we're comfortable with that. I'm not going to comment on that either. I can't share any more than what I've already said. The evidence that I'm willing to share is what I just read in our statement, and it's in the information. We're going to have to cut it off there. I'm not going to comment on that. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.