Tyler Robinson wore a self-harm prevention vest and a hollow gaze while appearing on video for his first court hearing from his Utah prison cell.
The alleged assassin said nothing except for his name and sat motionless when the judge read out the seven charges against him.
His court appearance came amid revelations about how his parents and his transgender partner found out that he was the sniper who fatally shot Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Tyler Robinson appeared on video for his first court hearing from his Utah prison cell
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
22-year-old Tyler is being held without bail for allegedly shooting Charlie on September 10.
He was at large for more than 30 hours, texting his partner and reportedly joking with friends online, before his family convinced him to turn himself in.
The day after the shooting, Tyler’s mother saw the suspect’s photos circulating in the news and thought he resembled her son, prosecutors said.
“Robinson’s mother called her son and asked him where he was. He said he was at home sick… [She] expressed concern to her husband that the suspected shooter looked like him. Robinson’s father agreed,” according to a 10-page charging document filed by Utah officials.
Tyler’s mother saw the suspect’s photos circulating in the news and thought he resembled her son
“His father also believed that the rifle that police suspected the shooter used matched a rifle that was given to his son as a gift,” the document added.
When Tyler eventually spoke to his father, he said he wanted to end his life. But the parents and a retired deputy sheriff known to the family convinced him to turn himself in.
During his first court appearance, Tyler was seen wearing a “su***de smock,” designed to prevent him from ending his own life.
The vest cannot be torn or used as a noose, thus reducing the risk of self-harm among prisoners and people in hospitals struggling with mental health issues.
Tyler was seen wearing a vest to prevent self-harm during his first court appearance
It is a standard practice for these vests to be issued to high-profile prisoners, such as Tyler, at the Utah County Security Centre.
Luigi Mangione, who was charged with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year, was also captured wearing a similar vest while in custody.
Luigi Mangione was seen wearing a similar vest after fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Tyler had an “obsession” with Charlie.
The suspect, who did not agree with the activist’s political views, sent text messages to his live-in partner Lance Twiggs shortly after shooting Charlie from a campus building’s rooftop.
“Drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard,” he texted Lance.
The partner then discovered a note that Tyler had left behind.
“I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” the note said.
The suspect reportedly joked about Charlie Kirk’s assassination in a group chat following the shooting
Image credits: Inside Edition
When Lance asked him why he shot the Turning Point USA co-founder, Tyler said he had “had enough of his hatred.”
Tyler went on to tell the flatmate that he had left his rifle behind in a wooded area near the university campus.
“I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints. how the f*** will I explain losing it to my old man?” he said about the rifle, which belonged to his grandfather before it was gifted to him.
“I am still ok 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,” read his text.
“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I d*** of old age,” he added. “I am sorry to involve you.”
The suspect told Lance that he had been planning the attack “for a bit over a week.” He also mentioned the political leanings of his father, a registered Republican.
“I am sorry to involve you,” Tyler texted his live-in partner Lance Twiggs after escaping from Utah Valley University
“Since Trump got into office, [my dad] has been pretty diehard maga,” Tyler texted Lance, referring to the “Make America Great Again” movement launched by the US president.
Tyler also reportedly messaged his friends on Discord hours before his arrest.
“It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this,” he texted.
Shortly after the shooting, Tyler’s father grew more and more convinced that his son was the sniper.
“Tyler, is this you? This looks like you,” he asked his son, a law enforcement source told CNN’s chief law enforcement analyst John Miller.
The suspect’s father grew convinced that the armed man was his son and asked: “Tyler, is this you? This looks like you”
The parents convinced him to meet at their home, and the 22-year-old eventually “implied that he was the shooter.”
“There is too much evil and the guy [Charlie Kirk] spreads too much hate,” he told them, according to the court filings.
Tyler turned himself in with his parents and the family friend about 33 hours after the shooting.
Image credits: ABC News
The charges against him include aggravated m****r, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice.
Utah prosecutors said they will seek the d**th penalty for the 22-year-old suspect.
If you or someone you know is struggling with self-harm ideation, help is available: International Hotlines
“There is zero remorse in his face,” one user commented online
