In court 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.
• Ahead of closing arguments, the judge has ordered a sealed hearing this morning. It comes at the request of the defense and appears to be in regards to allowing cameras in the courtroom.
• 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 expected to be in court today, alongside her late husband’s parents, according to a source close to the family.
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).
