Prosecutors argue man accused of killing Charlie Kirk should stand trial

A preliminary hearing for Charlie Kirk's alleged killer has begun. Here's what we learned Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 4:00pm Utah prosecutors have begun presenting their case against Tyler James Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The right-wing influencer was shot dead during an appearance at Utah Valley University on September 10. Prosecutors are seeking to convince a state judge they have enough evidence against the 23-year-old to proceed to a trial. The week-long preliminary hearing marks the most significant presentation of evidence in the case so far. Here is what to know about the hearing and what we learned from the first day of proceedings. What is a preliminary trial? The five-day preliminary hearing which began on Monday, local time, is where prosecutors will try to prove probable cause. That is a legal standard needed to proceed with trial. It requires prosecutors to present enough factual evidence to demonstrate there are reasonable grounds to believe Mr Robinson killed Mr Kirk. The proceeding will resemble a mini-trial, with prosecutors offering evidence, witness statements and autopsy findings to support their case. After the hearing concludes, state district judge Tony Graf must determine if the case should proceed. What are the key takeaways from day one? Video too graphic to be shown to the public Graphic footage of the shooting circulated on social media in the days after Mr Kirk's death, but videos were not shown publicly during the hearing. Instead, Judge Graf watched video that played only on private monitors, at one point flinching at what he saw. First insight into Mr Robinson's defence The prosecution called two law enforcement officials to testify as witnesses, and Kathryn Nester, one of Mr Robinson's lawyers, was able to cross-examine them. Mr Robinson has not yet entered a plea, so this gave the first insight into the strategy his defence team might use to rebut the prosecution's case. She asked witnesses about what security preparations were in place ahead of Mr Kirk's event and the specifics of what they witnessed after the shooting. "So, nothing that you found that day, or anyone else to your knowledge on campus, was able to identify who the shooter was?" Ms Nester asked Chris Bagley, a police officer who used to work at Utah Valley University. Kirk's family, Trump's son were at the courthouse Monday was the first time Mr Kirk's family came face-to-face with Mr Robinson. His widow, Erika Kirk, was escorted into the Utah courthouse minutes before the hearing began. His parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, arrived separately. They were joined by Donald Trump Jr, the son of the US president and a friend of Mr Kirk, and far-right commentator Jack Posobiec. Law enforcement found a 'sniper pad' Mr Bagley took the stand as the prosecution's first witness, and described the moments after the shooting. He said police mistakenly thought they had apprehended the gunman moments after the shooting. But when he saw a pistol holder lying in the grass of the courtyard, which conflicted with the gunshot's audio profile in his opinion resembling that of a rifle, he ran up a public staircase to reach the roof of the Losee Center building, as he knew it had a clear line of sight to the location where Mr Kirk was sitting. Mr Bagley said he spotted a red and black screwdriver that "looked out of place to me", and a disturbance in the gravel rooftop that he said resembled a "sniper pad," where someone might have been lying in a position that would allow them to shoot a weapon. He said the disturbance included spots that looked like they were made by two elbows and two knees, as well as a spot where someone might have laid a gun down. He then realised they likely did not have a shooter in custody and called to have the building searched and secured. ABC/AP