A Utah man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and six other charges, as a judge ruled that prosecutors may pursue the death penalty.
Tyler Robinson, 23, is charged over the killing of Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025. Aggravated murder is a capital offence under Utah law.
Defence lawyers had sought to prevent prosecutors from pursuing a death sentence. However, the prosecution argued that alleged aggravating circumstances—including firing towards a crowd where children were present—justified allowing the case to proceed as a capital trial.
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck while addressing the university gathering.
Robinson appeared in court in Provo on Tuesday wearing a grey suit and occasionally consulting his legal team. Kirk’s widow, Erika, who is the mother of their two children, attended alongside his parents, Robert and Kathryn.
In a statement released after the hearing, the Kirk family said the ruling “marks an important step” in their “pursuit of justice”.
“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,” the statement added.
Tuesday’s closing arguments followed a five-day preliminary hearing held in July, during which prosecutors presented evidence they said established probable cause for the case to go to trial.
The evidence included DNA allegedly connecting Robinson to the suspected murder weapon and other objects recovered near the scene, admissions he is accused of making to people close to him, and a recorded interview with 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 on Tuesday, describing footage that he claimed showed Robinson “dressed to kill” on the university campus that day.
“We know that the defendant is the shooter… first, because of the video evidence; second, because of the DNA; third, because of his admissions; and fourth, because of circumstantial evidence,” McBride said.
Prosecutors alleged that Robinson, a former apprentice electrician, strongly opposed Kirk’s conservative positions, particularly his views on transgender issues, which they described as the accused man’s motive. They said Robinson regarded those views as “repugnant”.
The prosecution also outlined what it described as aggravating factors, accusing Robinson of “gambling with the lives of others” by allegedly firing towards Kirk while he was surrounded by people.
“He was playing, in effect, a game of ballistic roulette,” prosecutor Chad Grunander said.
“It’s been 356 days since Tyler Robinson assassinated Charlie Kirk,” Grunander added. “It’s time for him, the defendant, to be bound over for trial and arraigned. Today.”
Robinson’s lawyers challenged the strength of the prosecution’s case. During the July hearing, they questioned investigative procedures and the qualifications of expert witnesses. They have also repeatedly objected to court proceedings being livestreamed.
Judge Tony Graf considered further arguments about camera access during a sealed hearing on Tuesday morning. He ultimately ruled in favour of allowing continued public access, citing the importance of transparency in a case that has generated conspiracy theories.
The defence also disputed the prosecution’s characterization of the alleged aggravating circumstances, noting that no one in the surrounding crowd was struck apart from Kirk.
Evidence presented during the July hearing alleged that Robinson made several visits to the campus on the day of the shooting, spoke with Turning Point USA members and ate at Chick-fil-A before returning in different clothing.
McBride claimed the second outfit included “long pants to obscure the rifle he had concealed down his pants”.
Prosecutors said Robinson’s DNA was discovered on his grandfather’s rifle, which was found hidden in a wooded area near the university following the shooting. His DNA was also allegedly detected on a towel wrapped around the weapon and on a screwdriver recovered from the scene.
McBride further alleged that markings engraved on cartridge casings matched a Dremel tool recovered from the home Robinson shared with Twiggs.
During the July hearing, the court was shown a recorded interview in which Twiggs told prosecutors that Robinson had confessed to the shooting, cried and expressed regret over what he had done.
Robinson surrendered to authorities the day after Kirk’s killing while accompanied by relatives and a neighbour.
He is scheduled to return to court on October 23, when a date for his trial is expected to be determined.
