As the United States waits with baited breath to see what happens to the alleged killer of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, you’ve no doubt heard a common discussion point.
“Death penalty?”
(Capital punishment is legal in Utah, that state where suspected shooter Tyler Robinson is being tried.)
According to Reuters, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty on aggravated murder charges because Robinson put others at great risk of death, targeted Kirk for his political expression, and knew children would witness the homicide.
Reuters added, “The prosecutor said he would seek the death penalty. If a jury were to find Robinson guilty, his legal team would be able to present mitigating factors to argue against the death penalty, such as any childhood trauma or mental health issues.”
Should such “mitigating factors” prove inadequate, a jury would have to unanimously decide that the death penalty is warranted.
If a jury unanimously decides that Robinson deserves the death penalty, what next?
Per Reuters, the most common form of capital punishment in Utah is lethal injection. However, a firing squad can be used in place of it “if lethal injection is found unconstitutional or if the state is unable to lawfully obtain required substances.”
And if Robinson is to die via firing squad, what will that look like?
Should Robinson be sentenced to death if found guilty?
The New York Post examined Utah’s most recent death by firing squad in 2010, which was convicted murderer Ronnie Lee Gardner, to approximate what Robinson may be in store for should a jury unanimously decide he’s worthy of execution.
“Tyler Robinson could end up with a little paper white target over his heart and shot by five law-enforcement volunteers with rifles,” the New York Post reported.
Interestingly, the outlet noted that one of those five officers will fire a dummy bullet, so nobody will know who actually killed the alleged assassin.
As was the case with Gardner, Robinson may very well have a black hood placed over his head, along with the paper target, before being seated in a chair with sandbags behind him to prevent bullets from ricocheting.
The officers stood about 25 feet from the chair, equipped with .30-caliber Winchester rifles.
The shooters will also typically target the chest, which is a bigger target area and will still result in death, instead of the head.
That all being said, Tyler Robinson is still quite a ways away from a potential firing squad. Numerous factors could make a firing squad a reality — or just a visceral talking point.
At the end of the day, it’s just not common for Utah to execute criminals via firing squad. And should such a decision be reached, Robinson could spend years — or decades — on death row in prison.
Robinson was thrust into the national spotlight when he allegedly fired a gun at Kirk’s neck and killed him at Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 10.
Utah and South Carolina are the only two states that still use firing squads for executions since 1976.
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