Charlie Kirk murder: Attorneys for suspect Tyler Robinson don't want video of murder introduced as evidence
Tyler Robinson, left, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, sits beside defense attorney Kathryn Nester during a hearing in Fourth District Court on January 16, 2026 in Provo, Utah. Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated mur
Lawyers for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, are asking a Utah judge to block video of the fatal shooting from being introduced as evidence at a hearing scheduled for Feb. 3.
The backstory:
Kirk was speaking to a crowd of about 3,000 people on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem when investigators say Robinson, 22, fired a single shot from a building about 140 yards away, striking Kirk, 31, and killing him.
In the court filing Tuesday, Robinson’s lawyers claim the video is irrelevant to their motion to have the county prosecutor's office disqualified from handling the case and would violate his right to a fair trial.
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What we know:
Earlier this month, court filings reveal that an 18-year-old child of a deputy county attorney was at the event and later texted with their father, who works in the Utah County Attorney’s Office, describing the chaotic events around the shooting.
Robinson’s defense attorneys say the personal relationship is a conflict of interest that "raises serious concerns about past and future prosecutorial decision-making in this case," according to court documents. They also argue that the "rush" to seek the death penalty against Robinson is evidence of "strong emotional reactions" by the prosecution and merits the disqualification of the entire team.
What they're saying:
Utah prosecutors say there is no conflict, and they do not need or plan to rely on the adult child as a witness.
Minutes after the shooting, numerous videos circulated widely online. Whether any of those videos will be introduced by prosecutors is not immediately clear from court filings.
Defense attorneys say the video was taken a few feet away from where Kirk was speaking and includes audio of "unidentified voices, immediately before, during and after the shooting."
The defense also claims in the filing that news coverage of the case has been "highly biased" and told the court they planned to ask to have cameras kicked out once again at the start of the next hearing. They wrote that if the video of Kirk's murder is played in court, it would be "subject to immediate publication nationwide and internationally."
Many outlets, including Fox News Digital, have avoided republishing the widely circulated video of the slaying due to its extremely graphic nature.
Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and prosecutors with the Utah County Attorney’s Office plan to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.
What's next:
Prosecutors are expected to lay out their case against Robinson at a preliminary hearing scheduled to begin May 18.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by FOX News and previous FOX Local reporting. This story was reported from Orlando.