(NewsNation) — As new information sheds light on the possible motive of political activist Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin, the Utah Valley University campus, where the killing occurred, is expected to reopen Monday morning.
A phased return for staff and students is expected to begin Monday, though classes won’t resume until Wednesday, a week after the fatal shooting.
The university has worked quickly to clear the grassy area of crime tape where Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” tent had stood in the campus courtyard. Soil was being removed for the installation of new pavers near the spot where Kirk had answered a question about mass shootings when he was shot and killed.
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Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, has said Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Kirk, was romantically involved with a roommate who has been described as cooperative with the investigation. Cox said Robinson has not cooperated. The 22-year-old is being held in a special housing unit of the Utah County Jail.
“We can confirm that, again, according to family and people that we’re interviewing, he does come from a conservative family. But his ideology was very different than his family, and so that’s part of it,” Cox said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We do know that the roommate that we had originally talked about, we can confirm that that roommate is a boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female.”
More information is expected Tuesday, when Robinson has his first court appearance and will be formally charged with multiple felonies, including aggravated murder.
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Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” drew more than 3,000 attendees to the university’s campus, and many have said they’re still shaken and forever changed.
Police have said a single gunshot fired from a nearby rooftop hit Kirk in the neck, giving many attendees a front row seat to the tragedy. Students who attended the event said they are still traumatized.
“I was still trying to clean my laundry and clean the clothes that I had worn that day,” said student Danielle Conners. “Thinking of the pants that I had the stains on … Like, I can’t even clean my clothes. I can’t go to work. I can’t go to school … I feel like I can’t do anything.”
The university has offered on-site mental health support for students and staff.
