Suspect in Charlie Kirk's killing feared being shot by police, sheriff says

Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and eventually agreed to surrender only if it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.

OREM, Utah — Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and eventually agreed to surrender only if it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.

Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he arrived with his parents to turn himself 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 parent’s 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.”

On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.

Robinson also faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday where a judge said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.