Charlie Kirk died while addressing a crowd in Utah. Photo / Getty Images
Six other charges include obstruction of justice and witness tampering, allegedly for ordering his roommate to stay silent.
“I am filing a notice of intent to seek the death penalty,” Gray said.
“I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime.”
Kirk, a father of two, used his audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for conservative talking points, including strong criticism of the transgender rights movement.
A polarising figure, he often posted carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.
FBI director Kash Patel has been heavily criticised for his actions in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, including having quickly announced the arrest of a separate suspect, only to confirm they had been released two hours later.
Patel faced a grilling from a Senate panel on Tuesday that included bad-tempered exchanges with Democratic Senator Corey Booker.
Patel has come under fire from both the right and the left since Trump named him to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.
On Monday, the White House said it would be pursuing an alleged left-wing “domestic terror movement” after Kirk’s killing, prompting alarm that such a campaign could be used to silence political dissent.
– Agence France-Presse