Utah prosecutors on Tuesday showed video from the day of Charlie Kirk's killing that they said depicted suspect Tyler James Robinson entering the Utah Valley University campus and climbing onto a roof where they say he fired a fatal shot at the conservative commentator.
Prosecution presents evidence in preliminary hearing
The Utah County Attorney's Office presented the evidence on the second day of a week-long preliminary hearing in which the state must prove to a state district judge that there was enough evidence for the case to move to trial. Robinson, 23, has been charged with aggravated murder in the killing of Kirk, who died after being shot in the neck while speaking at the university last September. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Robinson and say there is DNA evidence linking him to the weapon believed to be used in the killing. The state has also said Robinson allegedly confessed in a note he left his roommate and romantic partner. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
First day testimony and courtroom presence
The proceedings marked the first time Kirk's family and his widow Erika Kirk have been in the courtroom with his accused killer. Donald Trump Jr., a close friend of Kirk's, also attended on Monday. On the first day, Christopher Bagley, a former Utah Valley University police officer, described hearing a gunshot while Kirk spoke to thousands on September 10, 2025, and the ensuing panic. "Everybody kind of got up. A lot of people were screaming and starting to run in all different directions," Bagley testified. He searched for additional victims but found none, then moved to contain the scene to preserve evidence. Shortly after, Bagley inspected the rooftop of a nearby building and saw impressions in the gravel that he believed suggested a sniper had been there. The prosecution also submitted graphic footage of the shooting into evidence not shown to the public.
Tuesday's testimony and video evidence
Tuesday's proceedings began with David Hull, a former Utah state Bureau of Investigation agent, taking the stand. Hull narrated videos played in court that he said showed Robinson arriving on campus, leaving, and then returning later in different clothing. Additional footage showed a person authorities believe to be Robinson entering a rooftop, running, crouching down, and lying prone until a shot was fired at 12:23, according to Hull, at which point the person got up, lowered down from the roof, and walked away from campus. The prosecution also showed footage that Hull said showed Robinson's vehicle on campus in the early morning hours of September 11. A police officer interacted with the driver, and in an act of "cop intuition" wrote down details and a partial license plate number. After searching the number, authorities determined Robinson was an owner of the vehicle. The prosecution and defense have clashed over additional videos with circled highlights that prosecutors said were designed to help viewers better understand the footage.
Ongoing hearing and expected testimony
Later on Tuesday, prosecutors were expected to present a recorded statement from Robinson's roommate and additional law enforcement videos. The hearing is expected to last five days.
