Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges over the alleged murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
The plea came after a Utah judge ruled that the 23-year-old must stand trial on the charges, including aggravated murder, The Guardian reported.
Robinson is accused of assassinating Kirk during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025. Prosecutors allege he fired a rifle from a rooftop and hit Kirk in the neck from hundreds of feet away.
Kirk was a co-founder of Turning Point USA, a prominent conservative political activist and an ally of US President Donald Trump. He was killed while speaking before a crowd at the university.
Prosecutors presented sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial, fourth district Judge Tony Graf ruled. The decision followed a preliminary hearing in July and closing arguments on Tuesday, as per AP.
Death penalty remains possible
The aggravated murder charge carries the possibility of a death sentence under Utah law. Prosecutors have said they intend to pursue the death penalty. They say the shooting endangered people attending the event, as per a Reuters report.
The defence has challenged that argument, saying Robinson fired a single shot at Kirk and that prosecutors have not shown he intended to put others at risk. His lawyers have also disputed parts of the prosecution’s evidence and alleged political motive.
During the preliminary proceedings, prosecutors presented surveillance footage, DNA evidence they say connected Robinson to the rifle, messages and other material they said point to his involvement in the killing. They also alleged that Robinson made statements acknowledging the shooting.
What happened the day Kirk was shot
Kirk was speaking at an outdoor Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University before a crowd of more than 3,000 people. Prosecutors allege Robinson positioned himself on a rooftop roughly 400 feet away and fired a single shot that hit Kirk in the neck.
Surveillance footage allegedly showed a person prosecutors identified as Robinson entering the campus wearing a dark shirt, baseball cap and large sunglasses. Investigators said his gait appeared unusual because he was hiding a rifle, HT reported earlier.
The rifle left near the scene
Investigators recovered a bolt-action .30-06 rifle in a wooded area near the university. It had been wrapped in a towel and was found with a spent cartridge still associated with it.
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Investigators said Robinson’s DNA was found on the rifle/towel and on a screwdriver recovered from the rooftop. Prosecutors later presented additional DNA evidence involving the weapon and cartridges, AP reported.
Marks in the bullet casings
Investigators found four cartridges with messages engraved on them, according to the September 2025 charging information. They were-
“NoTices Bulge OWO What’s This?”
“Hey Facist! Catch!” followed by arrow symbols.
“O Bella bye, Bella bye Bella bye Hello, bye!” Bella Ciao is an Italian song strongly associated with anti-fascist resistance.
“If you Read This, You Are GAY Lmao.”
Robinson said the engravings were “mostly a big meme,” HT reported earlier.
The bullet-ballistics twist
In 2026, an ATF analysis found that the bullet fragment recovered from Charlie Kirk’s body could not be conclusively linked to the rifle allegedly used by Tyler Robinson, as per PBS.
That said, a spent casing found at the scene was matched to the rifle.
ALSO READ | Trump credits Charlie Kirk for ‘tremendous renewal’ in faith, religion in US
The handwritten note
Prosecutors say Robinson left a handwritten note for his roommate, Lance Twiggs, before the shooting. The note allegedly said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.”
According to prosecutors, Robinson later instructed Twiggs to look underneath his keyboard and find the note, HT reported earlier.
When Twiggs asked Robinson directly whether he had killed Kirk, Robinson allegedly responded, “I am. I’m sorry,” according to the charging documents.
Robinson allegedly then explained why he did it, saying he had “had enough of his hatred” and that “some hate can’t be negotiated out,” Reuters reported last year.
The Discord message
Investigators also obtained a message from an online chat room that prosecutors attributed to Robinson. It allegedly said, “it was me at UVU yesterday” and indicated that he was about to surrender.
Twiggs later gave investigators a recorded interview. Twiggs said Robinson told him the day after the shooting that he wished he hadn’t done it. Twiggs also reportedly said Robinson had not previously talked to him about killing Kirk, according to evidence presented in court.
