Utah Courtroom Shock: Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty for Charlie Kirk Killing
Accused killer Tyler Robinson will stand trial for Charlie Kirk’s assassination and could face the death penalty if convicted, a Utah judge ruled on Tuesday.
Judge Tony Graf ruled that the 23-year-old alleged assassin will stand trial for all seven counts — including first-degree murder — after finding that prosecutors had enough evidence to try him.
Graf also ruled there is enough evidence that Robinson put bystanders’ lives at risk when he fired over the heads of thousands of people — including children — who had gathered at Utah Valley University to see Kirk speak on Sept. 10, 2025.
Robinson pleaded not guilty Tuesday to all charges, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of tampering with a witness, and violent offense committed in the presence of a child.
Those charges with aggravating factors could carry a death sentence by firing squad if he’s convicted.
Robinson’s family sat in the front of the Provo courtroom with Kirk’s parents and widow Erika seated in the back, KUTV observed, as attorneys gave closing arguments on the last day of the hearing — nearly a year after 31-year-old Kirk’s death.
“Today’s decision, which comes nearly a year since Charlie was taken from us, marks an important step in our family’s pursuit of justice for him,” the Kirk family said in a statement.
“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. We are grateful to all who have continued to pray for us, support us, and stand with us through a year of unimaginable grief.”
Prosecutors listed off “a mountain of evidence” in their argument for a trial.
“There is a mountain of evidence that proves he is the shooter,” prosecutor Ryan McBride told the court, giving a detailed account of how Robinson allegedly drove to UVU, took position on a rooftop, shot Kirk, and then bragged about the crime via text to his trans partner Lance Twiggs.
Video evidence, DNA traces on the gun and a screwdriver left at the scene, and messages to Twiggs all prove that account, McBride said.
They also presented video testimony from Robinson’s trans lover Lance Twiggs, who claimed Robinson confessed to the shooting in texts and an emotional in-person conversation.
As for the motive: “[Kirk was] an outspoken advocate for traditional conservative values, including traditional family and marriage,” McBride said.
McBride also argued for several aggravating factors that would qualify Robinson for death penalty, including that the shooting created a “high probability” of death to bystanders, that he targeted Kirk for his political views, and that he knew children were present in the crowd.
Kirk was in a crowd of 4,000 people, surrounded “literally on all sides,” when Robinson took the shot, McBride argued. He also would have seen children in the crowd.
“In one frame, I was able to find three babies in arms,” McBride said, describing a video of the scene.
Robinson targeted Kirk because his message — which supported traditional relationships — was “repugnant” to Robinson’s LGBTQ+ lifestyle, McBride continued.
“We know what charge Kirk stood for, and those ideas were repugnant to the defendant, who was in a homosexual relationship with a man who was considering transitioning genders. It doesn’t take a lot to connect the dots,” he said.
Robinson’s attorneys attempted to counter all of the prosecution’s points, claiming the video and DNA evidence wasn’t as reliable as the prosecution claimed.
They also argued that Robinson’s alleged single, targeted rifle shot didn’t meet the legal standard for “high probability” of bystander death, and that there was no evidence Robinson’s animosity for Kirk had anything to do with his love life.
“There’s a gap between what it is Mr. Kirk said and stood for … and what it is Mr. Robinson felt about him. And it’s a significant gap because what it allows the state to do is to make it up. ‘Oh it must be about this relationship,” Robinson’s attorney Richard Novak said.
