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Utah Governor Announces State Will Seek The Death Penalty In Kirk Shooter’s Case
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Utah Governor Announces State Will Seek The Death Penalty In Kirk Shooter’s Case

Utah Governor Spencer Cox stood before reporters Thursday evening and delivered the kind of message that both steadies and sharpens a rattled public: progress is being made in the hunt for the assassin who gunned down Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, and Utah intends to see justice carried out to the fullest extent of the law.

Flanked by Commissioner of Public Safety Bo Mason and backed by federal firepower in the form of FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls, Cox emphasized that this is a case consuming resources across multiple states, and that the weight of federal and state agencies is bearing down on the unknown shooter.


Though Patel and Bongino refrained from speaking, Mason gave a detailed walk-through of newly released surveillance footage. The video, enhanced frame by frame, showed the suspect moving along the roofline of a campus building at Utah Valley University, positioning himself at the far right corner before climbing down to make his escape. The imagery, Mason explained, provided investigators with critical evidence: palm prints and shoe impressions believed to be from Converse sneakers.

Further stills revealed enhanced details of the suspect’s t-shirt, hat, and backpack — distinctions Mason urged the public to scrutinize closely. “We need your eyes on this,” he said, underscoring the central role of ordinary citizens in piecing together the assassin’s movements.

Governor Cox returned to the podium with both urgency and resolve. He revealed that more than 7,000 tips had already poured in, leading to 200 interviews conducted by joint federal and state task forces. Still, he stressed that the net must be cast wider, warning that “we cannot do our job without the public’s help right now.”


But Cox also offered a pointed admonition: beware of disinformation. “Our adversaries want violence,” he said firmly. “I would encourage you to ignore those, to turn off those streams, and spend a little more time with your families.” It was a reminder that this tragedy is not only about a crime, but also about the narratives swirling in its wake — narratives that can divide, destabilize, and distract from justice.

And then Cox dropped the weightiest statement of the night. With unmistakable clarity, he vowed that the state would pursue the death penalty against Kirk’s assassin once apprehended. “More than anything, we are going to catch this person,” Cox said. “We have been working with our attorneys, getting everything we need, affidavits ready, so we can pursue the death penalty in this case. And that will happen in the state of Utah.”

Written by Arthur Higgens - September 12, 2025