A Utah judge has ruled that Tyler James Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of shooting and killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, will stand trial on all seven charges against him, including aggravated murder — the only charge in Utah that carries the death penalty. Robinson, appearing in court in Provo in a grey suit and consulting periodically with his lawyers, entered a plea of not guilty on Tuesday. Judge Tony Graf also confirmed that aggravating factors are sufficient to keep capital punishment on the table.
Kirk, who was 31 years old, was shot in the neck with a single bullet on 10 September 2024 while addressing students at Utah Valley University, a campus in Provo, roughly 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. He died almost immediately. According to prosecutors, Robinson fired from the roof of a neighbouring building using his grandfather's rifle, concealing the weapon down his trousers beneath a second set of clothing he had changed into after scouting the campus earlier that day. The prosecution described the act as deliberate and premeditated, pointing to video footage, DNA evidence recovered from the rifle and a towel it was wrapped in, engravings on spent casings linked to a tool found at Robinson's home, and multiple confessions he allegedly made to his roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. "There is a mountain of evidence that proves that he is the shooter," prosecutor Ryan McBride told the court.
Defence lawyers sought to have the aggravated murder charge — and with it the death penalty — removed from proceedings, arguing that Robinson fired only one bullet at one target and therefore posed no danger to bystanders. Judge Graf rejected that argument, finding that firing a high-powered rifle towards a crowd of thousands constituted a grave risk to those present. Messages allegedly written on unfired bullet casings found at the scene, including the phrase "Hey fascist, catch!" and a reference to the Italian anti-fascist anthem "Bella Ciao," were cited as indicative of political motive. Prosecutors say Robinson viewed Kirk's conservative positions — particularly on transgender issues — as spreading hate. Text messages he allegedly sent to Twiggs after the shooting reportedly included expressions of remorse.
Kirk had founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) at the age of 18, building it into a non-profit organisation with chapters at hundreds of American colleges and universities. He had amassed more than eight million Instagram followers and four million YouTube subscribers before his death, and was closely associated with President Donald Trump. His widow, Erika Kirk, now leads TPUSA. She and Kirk's parents, Robert and Kathryn, attended Tuesday's hearing. In a statement, the family said the judge's decision "marks an important step" in their pursuit of justice, adding that "every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie's murder has taken from his family."
Tuesday's ruling is a procedural step that binds the case over for trial; no verdict or sentence has been determined. Robinson is next due in court on 23 October, when a trial date is expected to be set. The case has drawn sustained public attention in the United States, in part because of the political profile of the victim and the conspiracy theories that have circulated around the killing — factors that led Judge Graf to rule in favour of allowing cameras to livestream the proceedings, over the objections of the defence.