Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, listens to the prosecution during a preliminary hearing at Fourth District Court on July 7, 2026, in Provo, Utah. Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a …
The Utah man charged in the shooting death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is back in court for the third day of his week-long preliminary hearing as prosecutors continue presenting the evidence they have against Tyler Robinson, including DNA evidence.
The second day of the week-long preliminary hearing against the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk saw prosecutors show never-before-seen security footage from the day of the shooting and discuss DNA evidence linked to the suspected murder weapon.
Big picture view:
The hearing started Monday and is set to last five days as prosecutors seek the death penalty for Tyler Robinson, and this week marks the most significant presentation of the evidence against the Utah man.
The backstory:
Robinson, who faces charges of aggravated murder, has not entered a plea. His attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence, but they have moved to get the death penalty taken off the table.
Prosecutors have described some of the evidence they expect to present during the week, including DNA results linking Robinson to the suspected murder weapon. They also plan to show autopsy findings, witness statements, and video of Kirk’s killing.
DNA matches only 2 people
A bolt-action rifle with a spent round that was found wrapped within a towel in a nearby wooded area is believed to be the weapon used to shoot Kirk. Jennifer Faumuina, of Utah’s State Bureau of Investigation, testified Tuesday that DNA taken off that towel matches only two people.
She identified one of the individuals as Robinson’s roommate, and said the other match was likely Robinson himself. The defense pushed back on the evidence, citing testimony from an FBI analyst to show that a person’s DNA being on an item does not necessarily mean they touched it.
The court also got to see security footage that showed Robinson on the campus of Utah Valley University, where the shooting happened, on the day in question. CCTV video recorded Robinson from his arrival on September 10, through the shooting, and afterward, including when he drove off the campus.
The video also allegedly shows Robinson on top of the Losee Center for Student Success, the spot where prosecutors say Robinson shot and killed Kirk.
Dig deeper:
Prosecutors intend to argue that the shooting endangered other people attending the event at Utah Valley University where Kirk was shot. That factor would represent the aggravating circumstance that would make it a crime punishable by death in Utah.
While the preliminary hearing may look like a trial, the bar for prosecutors at this stage is much lower. They must show the judge that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Robinson killed Kirk for the case to go to trial. At that point, prosecutors would have to prove Robinson is guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt."
A former prosecutor and state judge in Salt Lake City, Mark Kouris, believes that means the state should have little trouble getting its case to trial, saying, "This standard is extremely low and the chances of them not getting through it are, quite frankly, almost nothing."
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.