The man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk might be hoping for the death penalty if he is found guilty, according to a retired FBI agent.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10. Tyler James Robinson, 22, has been charged in the case and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, an organization that focuses on reaching out to young people on college campuses. Kirk started the organization when he was 18 and was considered a political ally to President Donald Trump. Trump eulogized Kirk at a memorial service on Sunday.
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer suggested on X that Robinson might be hoping for the maximum penalty if convicted.
"TR will want to be put to death because a life sentence in prison would be far worse for him," Coffindaffer wrote. "I believe he is a Timothy McVeigh, in this regard. Just a prediction. Time will tell. What do you think?"
Tens of thousands turned out for Kirk's memorial service in Glendale, Arizona, this weekend, News Nation reported.
"The gun was pointed at him, but the bullet was aimed at all of us," Trump said according to News Nation. "Indeed, Charlie was killed for expressing the very ideas that virtually everyone in this arena and most other places throughout our country deeply believed in. But the assassin failed in his quest because Charlie's message has not been silenced. It now is bigger and better and stronger than ever before, and it's not even close."
Prediction:
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) September 22, 2025
Tyler Robinson, who is charged with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, will be convicted and sentenced to death.
And that is what TR will want. TR won't want to stall or appeal. TR will want to be put to death because a life sentence in prison would be far worse for... pic.twitter.com/RVWLGQp5fI
