Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old Utah man accused of shooting conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to aggravated murder and six related charges, as a judge ruled that prosecutors may seek the death penalty at trial.
Robinson appeared in court in Provo, Utah, in a grey suit, consulting occasionally with his defence lawyers. Kirk’s widow Erika, their two children’s mother, attended alongside Kirk’s parents. In a statement released afterwards, the Kirk family said the judge’s ruling “marks an important step” in their “pursuit of justice,” adding:
“Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father.”
Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025. Defence lawyers had argued to remove the death penalty from the table, but prosecutors successfully countered that aggravating factors including firing into a crowd in the presence of children warranted a capital trial.
“A Mountain of Evidence”
Prosecutor Ryan McBride was direct about the strength of the state’s case. “There is a mountain of evidence that proves that he is the shooter,” he told the court. Further outlining four pillars of the prosecution: video footage, DNA evidence, the defendant’s own alleged admissions, and circumstantial evidence. DNA allegedly linking Robinson to his grandfather’s rifle was recovered from a wooded area near the campus after the shooting. This alongside a towel the weapon was wrapped in and a screwdriver at the scene.
Prosecutors alleged Robinson scouted the campus multiple times on the day of the shooting, interacting with Turning Point USA members before leaving and returning in different clothing that included “long pants to obscure the rifle he had concealed down his pants.”
They also alleged engravings on bullet casings from the scene matched a Dremel tool. One that was recovered from the home Robinson shared with his roommate, Lance Twiggs.
Twiggs, in a videotaped statement played during a five-day preliminary hearing in July, said Robinson confessed to the shooting. Also stating that he cried and said he wished he had not done it.
Prosecutors said Robinson regarded Kirk’s conservative views, particularly on transgender issues, as “repugnant,” which they offered as the motive.
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