In court today
• Closing arguments are underway in the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with shooting and killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah university campus nearly one year ago.
• Ahead of closing arguments, there were discussions about cameras in the courtroom and on the exhibits attorneys plan to show.
• Following the preliminary hearing, Judge Tony Graf is expected to rule if the case can proceed to trial.
• Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, is in court today, alongside her late husband’s parents.
Prosecutor: Robinson killed Charlie Kirk “because he disagreed with him”
The prosecution concluded its closing argument moments ago, saying Tyler Robinson shot and killed Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, “because he disagreed with him.”
“He did it by firing a high-powered rifle into a group of thousands who surrounded Charlie Kirk literally on all sides. And he, like any rational person, knew that that would create a great risk of death to all those around Charlie Kirk in the event of any one of a number of likely possibilities,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride said.
McBride argued that Robinson created “a great risk” by shooting into a massive crowd, given that he could have missed his target, the bullet could have ricocheted or passed-through and killed “any other people of those people” around Kirk.
“We’d ask the court to bind over the defendant on all charges,” McBride said.
Prosecutor uses attempted Trump assassination to argue Robinson knew risk of death
Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride used the example of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024 to make his case that Tyler Robinson knew there was risk of death during the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Trump’s life was saved because he turned his head and the bullet went through his ear, but errant bullets hit other people, one fatally, McBride said.
“Not only is there common sense, but there’s recent precedent,” the prosecutor said. “You shoot at someone in a public assassination attempt, you have a great risk of killing someone else.”
The consequence of missing an intended target is still death, and the defendant did not care that he could kill other people in his mission, the prosecutor added.
“He was prepared to take other shots and let the casualties be what they may,” McBride said.
Prosecution wraps closing arguments and defense team begins speaking
The prosecution has wrapped closing arguments in the preliminary hearing for the case against Tyler Robinson, charged with shooting and killing Charlie Kirk.
Robinson’s defense team is now presenting its closing argument in the preliminary hearing, after which the prosecution will be allowed to speak once more, and the judge will break to consider his ruling.
Robinson created "risk of death" when he fired over crowd of thousands, prosecutor says
The prosecution argued the aggravating circumstance included in the charges against Tyler Robinson — risk of death — is applicable.
Robinson stands charged in Charlie Kirk’s killing with aggravated murder, felony use of a firearm, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and committing a violent act in the presence of a child.
Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride argued to the judge that the defense’s argument that the aggravating circumstance does not apply because the shooter did not discharge multiple rounds or hit a second victim is a misrepresentation of the law.
“You can’t shoot a rifle into a crowd of 3,000 people without knowing that you create a great risk of death to all those around your target,” McBride said.
Testimony shows that Robinson was about 400 feet away from Kirk when he fired his rifle, McBride said. At that distance, “that’s a matter of millimeters” if the bullet would have hit feet away from his target.
“He came on a mission to kill Charlie Kirk, and if he missed, so be it,” McBride said. “He was prepared to take other shots and let the casualties be what they may.”
After scouting vantage points, Tyler Robinson returned to campus “dressed to kill,” prosecutor says
After scouting vantage points on the Utah Valley University campus, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk returned to the school “dressed to kill,” Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride said Tuesday.
Tyler Robinson had changed into a black shirt and long pants to “obscure the rifle he had concealed down his pants,” McBride said.
Robinson was spotted on camera earlier in the day scouting locations before he returned armed, the prosecutor continued.
Robinson then used a screwdriver that he left behind at the location to reassemble a portion of the rifle and made his way to the roof, McBride said.
Prosecutors argue evidence proves Tyler Robinson was the shooter
Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride said the evidence shows Tyler Robinson is the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk last September.
In his closing argument to the judge, McBride argued that Robinson shot Kirk “because he disagreed with him.”
McBride said the evidence, which proves there is probable cause to proceed to trial, shows that Robinson fired a high-power rifle into the crowd of people Kirk was talking to at Utah Valley University.
Closing arguments are underway in preliminary hearing
Closing arguments have started in the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man charged in the shooting death of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
Prosecutor Ryan McBride is speaking now.
Kirk’s widow and family await closing arguments
The families of Charlie Kirk and Tyler Robinson sat in the first few rows of the Provo, Utah, courtroom today, ahead of closing arguments in the preliminary hearing.
Robinson, dressed in a light gray suit and dark tie, sat between his lawyers and appeared engaged prior to the beginning of the hearing. At one point, he was seen cracking a smile, a departure from his otherwise impassive nature throughout the hearings.
Erika Kirk was seated with Charlie Kirk’s mother and father, nodding along at times as the judge addressed the courtroom. When the judge discussed whether still frames from video of the shooting would be shown in court, she briefly held her head in her hands.
Court breaks for lunch ahead of closing arguments
Court in Tyler Robinson’s preliminary hearing is taking a lunch break.
Prior to the recess, the parties discussed which exhibits attorneys plan to show during their closing arguments to ensure certain items are not inadvertently published and recorded by the pool cameras.
During the preliminary hearing, Judge Tony Graf ruled on how each exhibit could be displayed:
- For the record
- In the courtroom only
- In media recordings
Court will be back at 1:10 p.m. MT (3:10 p.m. ET) for the start of closing arguments.
The prosecution will give its presentation first, which is expected to last about 40 minutes. The defense will then give their closing argument and will be followed by a prosecution rebuttal.
Judge favors transparency for preliminary hearing
District Judge Tony Graf allowed cameras in the courtroom today during Tyler Robinson’s hearing. Robinson is facing charges in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The defense argued previously that publicity of the hearing “may threaten a defendant’s fair trial rights” and make it hard to find impartial jurors, the judge said. However, he said there are procedures in place that are “potential safeguards” when selecting a jury.
Further, Graf said because the evidentiary portion of the preliminary hearing was conducted publicly in July, no new evidence will be introduced as part of closing arguments today.
Proceedings begin in Tyler Robinson preliminary hearing
District Judge Tony Graf is addressing people in the courtroom in Provo, Utah, as proceedings in the preliminary hearing of Tyler Robinson get underway.
Attorneys are expected to give closing statements shortly, but right now, parties are discussing whether or not to allow cameras in the courtroom.
The judge asked spectators in the room to not outwardly show any strong reactions.
Erika Kirk is expected to be in court alongside Charlie Kirk's parents
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow and the CEO of Turning Point USA, is expected to be in court Tuesday, alongside her late husband’s parents, Rob and Kathy Kirk, according to a source close to the family.
The trio, plus Erika’s sister, niece and nephew, also attended every day of the preliminary hearing in July.
Erika was visibly emotional during the proceedings, at times crying, furrowing her brow or looking down during difficult testimony. She and her mother-in-law could also be seen intermittently whispering to one another.
The family left the courtroom together on a handful of occasions, all of which involved video showing or testimony describing the shooting itself and the immediate aftermath.
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot nearly a year ago. Here's what happened
Nearly one year ago today, well-known conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University.
The 31-year-old had earned broad name recognition for his outspoken, often brash, rhetoric around controversial issues as the co-founder of the nonprofit conservative organization Turning Point USA.
News, along with graphic video, of the shooting on September 10, 2025, spread far beyond the shaken campus community in Orem, Utah, as an intense, 30-plus hour long manhunt for Kirk’s shooter ensued.
In some circles, Kirk was described as a martyr. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance escorted Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, from Salt Lake City to Phoenix on a flight aboard Air Force Two, carrying her husband’s casket. President Donald Trump announced plans to posthumously award Kirk a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Meanwhile, investigators scoured surveillance footage and pleaded with the public for any relevant information that could lead them to Kirk’s shooter.
The search ended when Tyler Robinson surrendered at his local sheriff’s office, accompanied by his parents, who had recognized his picture in the news and convinced him to turn himself in.
Nearly a year later, Robinson stands charged in Kirk’s killing with aggravated murder, felony use of a firearm, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and committing a violent act in the presence of a child.
Tyler Robinson's legal team questioned the handling of the investigation
Prior to the preliminary hearing, proceedings initiated by Tyler Robinson’s lawyers were largely focused on technicalities — such as raising a perceived conflict of interest on the part of the prosecution and trying to get cameras banned from the courtroom.
But a defense strategy began to emerge as Robinson’s attorneys questioned forensic evidence and grilled law enforcement officers about their handling of the investigation, highlighting potential leads that were discarded.
A former Utah Valley University police officer testified he saw an empty pistol holster in the grass following the shooting, but said he disregarded it because he thought the gunshot he heard came from a rifle.
Defense attorney Kathryn Nester noted during his cross-examination a report written by another officer which said a gun was found in the holster.
She also called into question the security protocols surrounding the event, asking how many officers were assigned and other security preparations. He testified six of the department’s 15 officers were working, that he was unaware of a security debrief ahead of the event and that no magnetometers or drones were used to screen the crowd.
Another of Robinson’s attorneys, meanwhile, tried to discredit the DNA and ballistics reports, questioning forensic witnesses about semantics in lab policies and the quality of the evidence collected.
Lawyers for Tyler Robinson said in recent court filings that government experts have so far been unable to conclusively connect the bullet fragment recovered from conservative activist Charlie Kirk's autopsy to a rifle found near the scene of Kirk's shooting. Robinson is charged with fatally shooting Kirk last year in Utah.
Prosecutors presented 4 kinds of evidence during Tyler Robinson's hearing
Prosecutors have divided their case into four categories:
- Video evidence
- Circumstantial evidence
- DNA evidence
- What they described as “confessions” Tyler Robinson made
Surveillance footage from Utah Valley University was used to create a timeline of Robinson’s alleged movements the day of Kirk’s shooting. One investigator testified Robinson can be seen on the UVU campus four times the day Kirk was killed, including immediately before and after the shooting.
Social media video of the event, professional video commissioned by Turning Point USA and Nest doorbell footage also was introduced as evidence.
Circumstantial evidence was used to tie Robinson to the area. A rifle was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near campus, in addition to four rounds with messages etched into the side, prosecutors showed. A search of Robinson’s apartment uncovered a Dremel tool and matching ammunition, they said.
The towel found wrapped around the rifle, the rifle itself and a screwdriver found on the roof of the campus building where the shot originated were all sent to federal crime labs for testing, and all had Robinson’s DNA included as a possible match to samples taken from the items, forensics experts testified.
Evidence of Robinson’s “confessions,” as prosecutors called them, came from a letters, messages and, most notably, a taped video deposition of his former roommate.
Twiggs told prosecutors Robinson expressed regret the day after the shooting, before he surrendered to police.
“He started crying a little bit and said he wishes he hadn’t done it,” Twiggs said in the interview conducted and recorded in April.
Twiggs’ attorney told CNN his client has “cooperated consistently with the investigation.”
Lance Twiggs, former roommate of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect Tyler Robinson, described in an interview shown in court how Robinson expressed remorse after Kirk’s death, testimony prosecutors could use to persuade a judge there is enough evidence to put Robinson on trial for the assassination of Kirk. CNN’s Nick Watt reports.
What is a preliminary hearing?
A preliminary hearing is an essential step in a criminal case. Prior to this hearing, a defendant will have already been arrested and charged with one or more crimes.
The preliminary hearing is a limited purpose proceeding held for a judge to determine whether the charges are justified.
Prosecutors carry the burden of establishing probable cause, or a reasonable belief that a crime was committed and the defendant is responsible. They don’t need to present all of their evidence to do so, just enough to establish probable cause.
Because of this, the judge is required by law to view preliminary hearing evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution.
Defense attorneys often use this proceeding to question the credibility of evidence or witnesses called.
And though evidence is admitted to the court and testimony is heard, a preliminary hearing is not to be confused with a trial. There is not a jury present, and hearsay evidence — or statements made to a witness outside of court — can be admissible.
Once arguments have been made, the judge determines whether the charges will be bound over, or moved forward to trial. If the judge finds some or all of the charges are lacking probable cause, those specific charges or the case itself can be dropped.
Judge orders sealed hearing ahead of closing arguments
A Utah judge has ordered a sealed hearing this morning ahead of the start of closing arguments in the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk last September.
The hearing comes at the request of the defense and appears to be in regards to allowing cameras in the courtroom.
Following the sealed hearing, closing arguments will begin in courtroom 4B of Utah’s Fourth Judicial Courthouse in Provo.
The parties will each have up to two hours to deliver their arguments. At their conclusion, court will recess for an hour then resume for Graf to deliver his ruling from the bench.
Closing arguments for Tyler Robinson's preliminary hearing set to begin today
Closing arguments in the preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man charged with shooting and killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah university campus nearly one year ago, are set to begin today in Provo.
Arguments took place over five days the week of July 6. The parties have since had about six weeks to draft written briefs summarizing their cases and will present their closing arguments in court today.
Prosecutors divided their case into four categories: video evidence, circumstantial evidence, DNA evidence and what they described as “confessions” Robinson made.
Robinson’s defense, for its part, worked to discredit the state’s witnesses and the interpretations of data by forensic examiners.
Court is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time (noon ET).
