Is Charlie Kirk's assassination a state crime or a federal crime? Understanding the legal process before the case heads into an eventual trial

After a day and a half of Charlie Kirk being shot at the Utah Valley University campus, the suspect shooter was identified as Tyler Robinson, and taken into custody late night on Thursday, September 11. 

Following Robinson's arrest, the criminal case against him is likely to take place in the Utah county courthouse. According to Politico, the suspect is facing three state-level criminal charges of causing bodily harm with a firearm, murder, and obstruction of justice. 

While the citizens of the country were expecting the trial of Charlie Kirk's murderer to be a federal one, epsecially giving the FBI's involvement in his manhunt, the case is a state one. This is because homicides are generally state-level crimes, and are categorized as a federal crime only when any or all of these criteria are met:

1. A hate crime motivated by victim's race or religion
2. A federal agent is killed
3. The killing taking place on federal grounds

And since none of these apply to the shooting of Charlie Kirk, his shooter will be tried with state-level criminal charges. 

The murder of Charlie Kirk is part of a disturbing rise in political violence that threatens to hollow out our public life.

A free society relies on the premise that people can speak out without fear or humiliation.

No more political violence. pic.twitter.com/SR71FJkiDz

— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 11, 2025

Robinson allegedly shot the MAGA influencer on Wednesday, September 10, when the latter was at the Utah Valley University (UVU) campus as part of his American Comeback Tour. 

The shot was fired as Kirk was in an outdoor gazebo, speaking to a crowd of nearly 3,000 students as he conducted a Q&A session at the event. Seconds before he was shot, the podcaster was ironically answering a question about gun violence. 

After Kirk was shot in the neck, he collapsed on the ground and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he couldn't survive his wounds and passed away later on Wednesday.

Charlie Kirk's shooter is a 22-year-old student from Utah

Charlie Kirk’s assassin Tyler Robinson, 22, killed him because he hated his opinions and thought he was a fascist. Yet ironically, HE was the fascist, killing someone to silence their opposing views.
The woke left love to say ‘speech is violent.’
It’s not - violence is. pic.twitter.com/70CWowT465

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 12, 2025

After Tyler Robinson was taken into custody on September 12, BBC reported that he was a Utah native. He is enrolled in an electrical apprenticeship program at the Dixie Technical College, where he's a third-year student.

According to the public records reviewed by the media outlet, Robinson had registered as a nonpartisan voter in the past. Meanwhile, his parents, Matthew Carl Robinson and Amber Denise Robinson, are both registered Republicans. 

The social media handles of Tyler's parents reveal that his father is in the business of countertop and cabinet installation, and his mother is a social worker. They're Mormon and active members of the local church.