Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson could face firing squad

ThatRobGuy · 2025-09-12T20:24:48-0500

https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/charlie-kirk-shooting-tyler-robinson-firing-squad/

I felt that this aspect of the conversation deserves its own thread, as it's a specific facet of the conversation that shouldn't get lost in the sea of the other matters relating to this topic.

With the high-profile killings that have recently happened, would death penalty being carried out on Tyler Robinson (should he be convicted) be warranted?

I ask that question with the caveat.

Normally I'm against the death penalty. But in this instance, would the death penalty being carried out by firing squad be a "pressure release valve" of sorts that could stave off more extreme outcomes (that could cause even more deaths) resulting from pent up "need for retributive justice"?

I think of what Obama (and a bipartisan plurality of politicians) said regarding his decision to give Seal Team Six the "go ahead" to take out Bin Laden. (and no, I'm not comparing Tyler to Bin Laden in terms of the scale of crimes, just using it to highlight the overall concept)

The decision was described with comments in the theme of "justice and closure". (emphasis on the closure part)

Now, the decision could've just as easily been "we'll find the right time to capture him, and bring him back to the US to stand trial, and give him life in prison", but they obviously went the other way on that.

Is that a direct appeal to the baser urges of human nature and the "need for vengeance as a form of closure"? Obviously...

But I think they understood that "he's just going to locked up forever" wouldn't have given a lot of people the same level of closure as knowing that a bunch of Seal Team Six guys lit him up like a Christmas Tree.

I do think one can make a pragmatic case for why the death penalty is the lesser of evils (in the long term) in some specific cases.

If people don't get that sense that "actual justice has been done", they'll start finding irrational ways to seek out that sense of closure, and you'll start getting a bunch of Bernie Goetz copycats on the subways.

Thoughts?

Chrystal-J · 2025-09-12T20:33:42-0500

If he is found guilty and faces the death penalty, I can't imagine how his dad would feel. He forced Tyler to turn himself in. Assuming he's guilty, my feelings are there are consequences for actions. He committed a diabolical act. If other people in his state get the death penalty for their acts, why should Tyler be exempt?

Chesterton · 2025-09-12T20:38:35-0500

Studies have shown that a firing squad is the most foolproof, effective, and quickest means of execution.

Tropical Wilds · 2025-09-12T20:38:57-0500

I think if the killer is executed, it will be so far down the road that discussing the impact, relief, or retaliation it will cause within society is pointless. We have no idea what society will look like and I very strongly suspect the afterglow of outrage that we have now will not be nearly as bright when and if the time for an execution comes.

Chrystal-J · 2025-09-12T20:47:46-0500

Tropical Wilds said:
I think if the killer is executed, it will be so far down the road that discussing the impact, relief, or retaliation it will cause within society is pointless. We have no idea what society will look like and I very strongly suspect the afterglow of outrage that we have now will not be nearly as bright when and if the time for an execution comes.

Time on death row is much harder than time in the general population. Even if he never gets executed, he'll suffer more for his crimes.

Tropical Wilds · 2025-09-12T20:52:23-0500

Chrystal-J said:
Time on death row is much harder than time in the general population. Even if he never gets executed, he'll suffer more for his crimes.

I think it’s a YMMV kind of deal. For some it was harder, for others easier. McVeigh? Clearly easier. Others, not so much. I don’t really care if it’s easier or harder as the actual penalty is the execution. Jail is just the waiting room.

MehGuy · 2025-09-12T20:53:14-0500

Chrystal-J said:
Time on death row is much harder than time in the general population. Even if he never gets executed, he'll suffer more for his crimes.

Maybe.

I remember watching a death row documentary before, and one person on death row said that there is an overclouding somber mood on deathrow. That anger and tension between deathrow inimates is diminished as a result. Prison for them is more of a reflective and soulful experience.

While not ideal compared to being a free man or woman, it sounds more peaceful than those in general prison.

Niels · 2025-09-12T20:59:18-0500

With the death penalty comes the risk of executing innocent people. Not all cases are clear cut, and even those that appear obvious may not be. If just one person is found innocent after they've been put to death, that's too big a risk in my opinion.

Besides, shooters often take themselves out via self-inflicted gunshot. For all we know, he may want to go down in a blaze of gunfire. I say let him rot in a prison cell.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-09-12T21:05:06-0500

Tropical Wilds said:
I think if the killer is executed, it will be so far down the road that discussing the impact, relief, or retaliation it will cause within society is pointless. We have no idea what society will look like and I very strongly suspect the afterglow of outrage that we have now will not be nearly as bright when and if the time for an execution comes.

That's ignoring the aspect that the sitting president and vice president were close personal friends of the victim.

What also need to be factored in is that Utah currently holds the record for the fastest firing squad execution, from the time of conviction to sentence being carried out, of 5 months (the Gary Gilmore case)

We're living in weird times...at lot of things that we'd never thought would ever happen are happening. It's very possible that this particular case could break that record for "swift justice"

iluvatar5150 · 2025-09-12T21:07:15-0500

"Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson could face firing squad"

Chrystal-J · 2025-09-12T21:13:18-0500

ThatRobGuy said:
What also need to be factored in is that Utah currently holds the record for the fastest firing squad execution, from the time of conviction to sentence being carried out, of 5 months (the Gary Gilmore case)

Gary Gilmore wanted to be executed. He rejected all appeals.

GoldenBoy89 · 2025-09-12T21:16:10-0500

This will surely bring peace and closure to the Kirk family. Maybe they can televise it like Charlie wanted. Executing this 22 year old in an equally violent fashion may even bring our troubled country together. The solution of course is more violence.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-09-12T21:20:17-0500

Niels said:
Besides, shooters often take themselves out via self-inflicted gunshot. For all we know, he may want to go down in a blaze of gunfire. I say let him rot in a prison cell.

My point was, what if that "letting him rot in a prison cell" comes at the expense of "political temperatures remaining at at a critical boiling point"?

Perhaps not the best analogy...

But it was Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine who said prostitution should be tolerated despite abhorring the practice, on the basis that it would prevent worse outlets for those urges.

I think the same applies here.

While I oppose the death penalty as a general rule... if doing it in these more high-profile situations gives the hungry wolves their "pound of flesh" and quenches the "retributive justice thirst" and prevents 10,000 people from showing up at the opposing side's speaking engagements with "hair trigger defense" mentality, it might be worth the trade-off.

rebornfree · 2025-09-12T21:22:01-0500

I sincerely hope not. He's 22; hardly out of adolescence, born into a time of political division, social media and disinformation. Society is partly to blame. Prison yes; firing squad no. I don't like capital punishment anyway, but if he was an older man who had years of being hateful and violent then I'd be less against it, but not for a 22 year old.

The fact that Kirk was well known, liked and a friend of Trump's is irrelevant. It would be unjust to regard the taking of one life as worse (or better) than taking another. Would there be the same degree of outrage over a tramp's death? If not, why not? A human life has been taken. The courts must not let public outrage affect their decision.

Chesterton · 2025-09-12T21:23:02-0500

iluvatar5150 said:
"Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson could face firing squad"

Nothing she mentions in that song is ironic, and there'd be nothing ironic about this criminal being shot to death.

In her defense, she doesn't claim any of those scenarios are ironic, she just asks "isn't it?" The answer is no to all of them.

ThatRobGuy · 2025-09-12T21:27:44-0500

GoldenBoy89 said:
This will surely bring peace and closure to the Kirk family. Maybe they can televise it like Charlie wanted. Executing this 22 year old in an equally violent fashion may even bring our troubled country together. The solution of course is more violence.

You joke, but it likely would bring some sense of closure to the situation.

The reality is, there's a lot of angry people out there about this whole fiasco, and if they don't get some sense of closure in all this, the situation's not going to get any better.

Carl Emerson · 2025-09-12T21:31:55-0500

Might he be advised to plea insanity ?

Is that a defence in your land ?

Chrystal-J · 2025-09-12T21:32:46-0500

Carl Emerson said:
Might he be advised to plea insanity ?

Is that a defence in your land ?

yes, it's a defense. But, it rarely works.

MehGuy · 2025-09-12T21:36:17-0500

Executing him, especially doing so in an unusually fast time frame risks making a martyr out of him. While it actually might ease some tensions for some, it could very well rile up tensions for others.

I think this situation is larger than the shooter anyways. Many on the right are shocked (some on the left admitting similar sentiments themselves) just how many people on the left celebrated or were at least gleeful about Charlie Kirk's assassination. At this point the shooter is almost irrelevant himself.

Chesterton · 2025-09-12T21:50:03-0500

Carl Emerson said:
Might he be advised to plea insanity ?

Is that a defence in your land ?

Yes, insanity is a defense here, but we have him on video fleeing the scene of the crime, which is an indication that he was sane enough to know that he did something wrong and illegal, and didn't want to get caught. Fleeing the scene is a huge barrier to presenting an insanity defense.

On the other hand, if it can be shown that he is a Leftist, that would almost automatically ensure that he is insane.

Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson could face firing squad

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