Utah Governor Spencer Cox is facing sharp criticism following his remarks about the suspect accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
During a press conference on Friday, September 12, Cox said he had been praying the shooter “wouldn’t be one of us,” hoping the suspect would come from another state or even another country.
“For 33 hours, I was praying that if this had to happen here that it wouldn’t be one of us — that somebody drove from another state, somebody came from another country… Sadly, that prayer was not answered the way I hoped for… But it did happen here, and it was one of us,” Cox stated.
Authorities later identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old white man from Utah. Reports indicate that Robinson comes from a pro-gun household, and both of his parents are registered Republicans.
While Governor Cox expressed gratitude for the swift arrest, his statement suggesting it would have been “easier” if the shooter were an outsider triggered backlash.
He explained his reasoning:
“I thought it would make it easier to say, ‘We don’t do that here.’”
The comments have since ignited a heated debate, with critics accusing Cox of distancing his state from responsibility instead of addressing the deeper issues that led to the violence.
