Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Prosecutors in the US told a court on Tuesday that an engraved bullet found in the suspected murder weapon in Charlie Kirk’s killing shows he was targeted because of how the accused viewed his politics. They said the inscription, “Hey Facist! CATCH!”, was an overt political reference.
The issue of whether Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be central to the case, as prosecutors are seeking the death penalty while the defence is trying to keep that punishment off the table. Judge Tony Graf is set to hear both sides again on September 1 before deciding whether the case will go to trial.
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Robinson, 23, has been charged with offences including aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. He turned himself in a day after the September 10 shooting at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors and defence lawyers have filed opposing documents on whether aggravating factors apply, including alleged political targeting and whether the shooting endangered thousands of people who attended Kirk’s event.
The latest filings came after a five-day preliminary hearing in July. Prosecutors said they had presented “overwhelming” evidence against Robinson, while defence lawyers challenged the findings of analysts. In a filing made late on Tuesday, prosecutors also cited a text message Robinson allegedly wrote about Kirk: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Robinson’s lawyers have argued that the message is not strong enough to prove a political motive and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new filing.
Before his death, Kirk and the organisation he co-founded, Turning Point USA, galvanised the conservative youth vote to help President Donald Trump win a second term. Prosecutors have argued that Kirk’s opposition to same-sex marriage and gender-affirming care was in sharp contrast to Robinson, who they said was in a romantic relationship with his roommate, Lance Twiggs. According to prosecutors, Twiggs told investigators he had considered a gender transition around the time of Kirk’s killing. Prosecutors also allege that Robinson left a handwritten note for Twiggs that said in part, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.”
In a recorded interview shown in court last month, Twiggs said he had never heard Robinson talk about Kirk before the shooting. He told investigators that Robinson also did not speak much about gender issues or LGBTQ+ rights, but did sometimes talk about politics, including Trump. During the July hearing, investigators presented DNA analysis that they said linked Robinson to both the suspected murder weapon and a tool allegedly used to engrave the bullet cartridges. Defence lawyers repeatedly questioned the reliability of the DNA testing and other evidence. They also opposed a possible sentence enhancement for endangering others, saying the shooter “hit the intended target”, while prosecutors said many people were within a “zone of danger” around Kirk when he was shot from a rooftop.
The case now turns on whether the court finds enough evidence for a trial and whether the alleged political motive and risk to bystanders can be treated as aggravating factors, in a prosecution that could carry the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
