Alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson makes first in-person court appearance

By Eric Levenson, Andi Babineau, CNN

(CNN) — Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old man accused of fatally shooting conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, appeared in a Utah court Thursday for the first time in-person since his arrest.

Robinson wore a light blue shirt, a striped tie and khaki pants, and was seen on camera speaking to his attorneys.

Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and felony use of a firearm, as well as obstruction of justice, witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

He has not yet entered a plea to the charges.

Robinson surrendered to police on September 11, a day after the shooting. His previous public court appearances took place on video or audio.

The hearing Thursday focused on issues of transparency and public accessibility to the case.

The issues stem from an October 24 hearing, which was closed to the public, about courtroom security, media coverage and Robinson’s ability to wear civilian clothing. Media organizations have requested a transcript of that hearing, but attorneys for Robinson and for the state of Utah have proposed certain redactions to the transcript.

On Thursday, the judge closed the first part of the hearing to the public in order to freely discuss what should or should not be sealed. Other parts of the hearing will be open to the public.

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has pushed for the case to be open to the public, in part to cut down on what she has called conspiracy theories about his death.

“We deserve to have cameras in there,” she told Fox News last month. “Why not be transparent?”

Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was known for his brash conservative views on hot-button partisan issues and his willingness to debate his liberal opponents, turning those arguments into content for millions of engaged followers online.

He was fatally shot on September 10 while he spoke at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem as part of his “The American Comeback” tour of college campuses.

Investigators on scene suspected the fatal shot came from a sniper on a nearby roof, and police soon released a photo from surveillance video of the suspect and asked for the public’s help in identifying him.

A charging document laid out the key evidence against Robinson, including DNA on the suspected murder weapon and a confession.

A bolt-action rifle, towel, a used cartridge casing and three unused cartridges were discovered in a wooded area near the crime scene, and DNA on several of those items were consistent with Robinson’s, according to the document. The cartridges were engraved with phrases from internet memes and video games.

The following day, Robinson, his parents and a family friend went to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to turn himself in, the document states. His parents had recognized their son from the surveillance photo, it said.

In texts to his roommate and romantic partner, “a biological male who was transitioning genders,” Robinson appeared to confess to the killing, according to the document. “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” Robinson wrote of his motive.

Robinson’s mother told investigators her son had become “more political” and “more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented” over the last year, according to the document.

Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty in his case.

Kirk’s latest book, “Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life,” was released earlier this week.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.