Utah is one of just five U.S. states that still allows execution by firing squad—a method not used in the state since 2010. That could change if Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is ultimately sentenced to death.
Robinson, 22, is facing multiple charges, including aggravated murder, in connection with the Sept. 10 shooting of 31-year-old Kirk during a debate at Utah Valley University. He appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday but did not enter a plea. In total, he faces seven charges, including obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and discharging a firearm causing serious injury.
While the case is still in its early stages, the possibility of a firing squad execution has drawn attention due to Utah’s unique history with the method. The state most recently used the firing squad in 2010 to execute Ronnie Lee Gardner, who was convicted of killing an attorney during a failed courthouse escape in 1985.
Gardner’s execution followed strict protocol: he was seated in a chair, a black hood was placed over his head, and a small white target was pinned over his heart. Five law enforcement officers stood 25 feet away, four of their rifles loaded with live rounds and one with a blank—so none would know who fired the fatal shot.
The execution was witnessed by a small group of journalists and officials. One reporter described subtle body movements after the shots were fired, which added to the emotional weight of the moment.
Gardner’s execution remains one of only two firing squad deaths carried out in the U.S. since the national moratorium on the death penalty ended in 1977. The other was in South Carolina in March, when double murderer Brad Sigmon was executed by the same method.
Although Utah lawmakers officially removed the option of choosing a firing squad in 2004, the method was reinstated in 2015 as a backup when lethal injection drugs are unavailable. According to Utah Rep. Paul Ray, who sponsored the law, firing squad executions have logistical advantages—including the ability to harvest organs, which is not possible with lethal injection.
Still, death sentences are rare in Utah, and executions even more so. Convicted prisoners often spend decades on death row. Just last month, 67-year-old Ralph Leroy Menzies was spared execution by firing squad after the Utah Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Menzies, convicted in the 1986 abduction and murder of Maurine Hunsaker, was found to have dementia and other severe health conditions that made the execution inhumane, according to his attorneys.
Whether Robinson’s case ultimately qualifies for the death penalty is unclear. Utah defense attorney Clayton Simms told Fox 13 that although the case lacks some typical aggravating factors—such as multiple victims or torture—the public and political nature of the killing could still meet the threshold.
“The most closely aligned aggravating factor is the death of a public official,” Simms explained. “If you kill someone in front of 3,000 live witnesses, and you know it will have an impact beyond the state, that could be considered particularly cruel.”
For now, Robinson remains in custody as his case proceeds through the legal system. Whether it ends in a death sentence—and potentially Utah’s next firing squad execution—remains to be seen.