The man accused in the Charlie Kirk assassination had earlier expressed to family his opposition to the viewpoints of the conservative activist, the authorities said Friday in announcing an arrest in a targeted killing that raised fresh alarms about political violence in the United States.
Tyler Robinson, 22, had become “more political” in the run-up to the shooting and had indicated to a family friend afterwards that he was responsible, said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. He also cited as key pieces of evidence engravings on bullets found in a rifle believed used in the attack as well as chatting app messages attributed to the accused shooter that a roommate shared with law enforcement after the shooting.
Cox, a Republican, called Kirk’s killing an “attack on the American experiment,” and he urged a new generation to “choose a different path.”
Robinson is believed to have acted alone, and the investigation is ongoing, Cox said.
France said it’s deploying fighter jets to Poland and Britain announced fresh sanctions on Russia’s oil revenues and war machine Friday as European countries took steps to deter Moscow’s aggression after an incursion by Russian drones into Polish territory.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he would deploy three advanced Rafale fighter jets to help protect Poland ’s airspace and NATO’ s eastern flank to fulfill a commitment to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The Rafales will patrol alongside other NATO aircraft in a deployment that also will include munitions and personnel on the ground, the French Defense Ministry said.
“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation,” Macron posted on X. He said the deployment was discussed with both NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Control of the Minnesota House of Representatives will once again be at stake Tuesday in a special election to replace Melissa Hortman, the former Democratic state House speaker who was slain along with her husband at their home in June.
The election takes place three months after the killings, as the accused gunman faces both federal and state murder charges that could result in the federal death penalty. The suspect is also charged with the attempted murders of a Democratic state senator and his wife.
Republicans now hold a 67-66 seat edge in the state House. If Democrats hold Hortman’s seat in the heavily Democratic district, the chamber will once again be tied at 67-67. A Democratic vacancy earlier in the year prompted a Republican attempt to take control of the legislative body, but a boycott by House Democrats, led by Hortman, eventually resulted in a power-sharing agreement between the two parties.
Max Westerlund can be reached at west1201@stthomas.edu.
