What charges has Tyler Robinson been formally indicted on and in which jurisdiction?
Executive summary
Utah County prosecutors have formally charged 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson with seven felony counts filed in Utah — led by aggravated murder (a capital felony) in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — and prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty [1] [2]. The formal charging document lists aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child and related counts [1] [3] [2].
1. What the formal filing says: the headline counts
The criminal information filed in Utah County charges Robinson with aggravated murder — a capital felony under Utah law — as the lead count detailing that on Sept. 10, 2025 he intentionally or knowingly caused the death of Charlie Kirk [2]. The filing also includes felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and the prosecutor publicly listed the commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child among the counts announced at the press conference [3] [2].
2. The full charged package: seven felony counts, per prosecutors
Multiple outlets report Robinson faces seven felony counts in the Utah filing. NewsNation and Newsweek summarize the package as seven counts that include aggravated murder, discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and the charge tied to a violent offense committed in the presence of a child — reflecting the specific counts prosecutors read at arraignment [1] [4] [5].
3. Jurisdiction: where he’s been charged and why Utah is handling the case
The charges were filed by the Utah County Attorney’s Office and the information (criminal charging document) is lodged in Utah County, where the shooting occurred and where Utah law governs capital and related felony statutes cited in the information [2] [6]. Utah does not require a grand‑jury indictment for these proceedings; prosecutors can file a criminal information and proceed to a preliminary hearing in county court, which is what officials described [1].
4. Death-penalty pursuit and legal consequences stated by prosecutors
Prosecutors publicly announced they intend to seek the death penalty for the aggravated murder charge; Utah’s aggravated‑murder statute allows capital punishment, and officials have framed the killing as eligible for that remedy [7] [5] [2]. Multiple outlets reiterate that prosecutors made clear the death‑penalty intent when charging Robinson [8] [1].
5. Evidence and aggravating allegations the information highlights
Reporting about the indictment cites alleged forensic and testimonial evidence that prosecutors used in their charging decision — DNA consistent with Robinson on rifle components and other items, alleged premeditation in notes and messages, and alleged statements to associates — details the information recounts as aggravating circumstances supporting the charges [3] [9] [2].
6. Divergent or uncertain points in available reporting
While most mainstream outlets describe seven counts and list the same primary offenses, some early reports and non‑mainstream pieces presented narrower or different count totals (for example claiming three charges) — those pieces conflict with the charging document and the county attorney’s announcement; the official information and contemporaneous press conference described the seven‑count package [10] [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention any federal indictment or charges; all cited filings and prosecutors are Utah County state authorities [1] [2].
7. What the indictment procedure and next steps look like
Because Utah operates via criminal information in many cases, Robinson’s initial court appearance served as a preliminary review of probable cause rather than a grand‑jury indictment; a judge will review the state’s case to decide whether it should proceed to trial, and prosecutors have the option to expand charges if additional evidence emerges [1] [6]. Media reports indicate Robinson remains held without bail pending further proceedings [4] [11].
Limitations and transparency note: my account relies only on the cited charging documents and contemporaneous media reporting from the Utah County announcement and published information [2] [3] [1]. Available sources do not mention any federal charges, nor do they provide a complete paragraph‑by‑paragraph reproduction of the entire indictment text here; the DocumentCloud copy is listed among sources for deeper primary review [12].