Tyler Robinson, accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, on June 12, 2026. (Francisco Kjolseth \/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-08-19T05:23:04Z<\/p>\n
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) \u2014 Prosecutors in Charlie Kirk<\/a><\/span> \u2018s killing pointed Tuesday to an engraved bullet, arguing that the inscription \u201cHey Facist! CATCH!\u201d demonstrates that Kirk was targeted for how the defendant perceived his politics.<\/p>\n Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty \u2014 or for his attorneys in taking that punishment off the table.<\/p>\n The prosecution and defense have filed dueling documents<\/a><\/span> focused on whether the crime included aggravating factors that would make Robinson eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Those include political targeting and whether the shooting endangered thousands of others who attended Kirk\u2019s Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University.<\/p>\n Robinson is charged with crimes including aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. The 23-year-old defendant turned himself in<\/a><\/span> a day after the shooting.<\/p>\n The latest batch of court documents follows a five-day preliminary hearing<\/a><\/span> in July, when prosecutors presented what they said was \u201coverwhelming\u201d evidence against Robinson, while defense attorneys worked to sow doubt<\/a><\/span> about analysts\u2019 findings. <\/p>\n Judge Tony Graf said he will decide if the case should advance to trial after he hears again from both sides on Sept. 1.<\/p>\n In a document filed late Tuesday, prosecutors argued the engraved bullet found in the suspected murder weapon<\/a><\/span> was an \u201covert political reference.\u201d They also noted that Robinson allegedly wrote in a text message about Kirk: \u201cI had enough of his hatred. Some hate can\u2019t be negotiated out.\u201d<\/p>\n Robinson\u2019s attorneys have argued that the text message is not strong enough evidence to prove a political motivation. They did not immediately respond to a request for comment on prosecutors\u2019 new filing.<\/p>\n