The alleged assassin of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been placed under “special watch at the Utah County Jail, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office told TMZ yesterday (Saturday).
The sheriff’s office did not reveal if 22-year-old Tyler Robinson had harmed himself or threatened to do so after his arrest. Robinson reportedly told his father that he would rather kill himself than turn himself in after his father recognized him from footage of the suspect that was released by the FBI.
The “special watch” designation allows authorities to monitor Robinson 24 hours a day.
Robinson is accused of firing a single shot from a bolt-action rifle that struck Kirk in the neck during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. He faces charges of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice. The aggravated murder charge could carry the death penalty.
US President Donald Trump announced the arrest of the suspect to the nation during an appearance on Fox News on Friday.
“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” Trump said.
He added, “Everyone did a great job. We worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job.”
The President noted the complexities in locating a suspect in the given circumstances: “We started off with a clip that made him look like an ant; it was almost useless. We just saw that there was someone up there. So much work has been done over the last two and a half days.”
