Charlie Kirk’s widow faces his accused killer in court for the first time as prosecutors start presenting evidence

By Nicki Brown, Andi Babineau, CNN

Provo, Utah (CNN) — The widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk faced her husband’s accused killer, Tyler Robinson, in court for the first time Monday as Utah prosecutors began presenting some of their evidence in hopes of convincing a judge to allow the case to proceed to trial.

Erika Kirk, who sat beside her late husband’s parents in the courtroom, appeared visibly emotional at times as witnesses described the day Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while addressing a crowd of thousands at a Utah university last September.

Donald Trump Jr., a close friend of Charlie Kirk’s, was also seen in the court Monday with his wife, Bettina Trump.

Charlie Kirk’s family temporarily left the courtroom during sensitive moments, including when a former Utah Valley University police officer described hearing the fatal gunshot, and when the court viewed graphic footage of the shooting – though those videos were not publicly displayed.

“A lot of people were screaming, standing up and starting to run in all different directions,” Officer Christopher Bagley, one of two witnesses prosecutors called to testify Monday, said.

The hearing comes about ten months after Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative firebrand and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot as he addressed a crowd of roughly 3,000 people during an event on UVU’s campus. News of his death – one example of the political violence roiling America in recent years – quickly went global, with graphic videos flooding social media and politicians on both sides of the aisle swiftly condemning the killing.

The day after the shooting, Robinson surrendered to police.

Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty against Robinson, who is charged with aggravated murder, felony use of a firearm, committing a violent offense in the presence of a child, witness tampering and obstruction of justice.

Robinson has not yet entered pleas: In Utah, a preliminary hearing is used to determine whether there’s probable cause to support the filed charges. If the judge finds there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, Robinson will be arraigned and enter pleas.

The Utah County Attorney’s Office has said in court filings it plans to call several law enforcement officials to testify as well as present other physical evidence, including photos of the alleged murder weapon, ballistics evidence and a videotaped statement from a key witness who could shed light on an alleged confession by Robinson.

The defense team previously said it plans to call three forensic experts to testify.

News cameras are allowed to record and broadcast much of the hearing, the judge ruled last week over the objections of Robinson’s attorneys.

His defense team has repeatedly raised concerns about news coverage of the high-profile proceedings, arguing in court filings it could impair his right to a fair trial and turn his case into “a reality TV show,” while prosecutors have said having cameras in court is the best way to combat rampant misinformation and conspiracy theories.

During Bagley’s cross-examination Monday, defense attorney Kathy Nester questioned the police investigation and appeared to cast doubt on law enforcement’s identification of the suspect.

“Nothing that you found that day – or anyone else, to your knowledge – on campus was able to identify who the shooter was?” Nester asked.

“During the time I was there, no,” Bagley said.

Robinson’s defense team also repeatedly objected to exhibits prosecutors tried to introduce, stalling testimony as the parties argued over the admissibility of the evidence.

In a statement released before the hearing, Kirk’s family expressed gratitude for the “support, prayers, and kindness we have received,” saying the “outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives.”

“Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father,” the family said. “Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children.”

“Out of respect for the judicial process, we will not be commenting further at this time,” the family said. “We ask for continued privacy as we navigate this process and immense grief.”

The killing of Charlie Kirk

Kirk was shot in the neck early in the afternoon on September 10, 2025, as he addressed the crowd gathered in a UVU campus courtyard for an event kicking off his national “The American Comeback” tour.

Surveillance cameras captured a man on a roof overlooking the courtyard running toward a spot that had a clear view of Kirk’s event, Bagley testified Monday. After the shooting, the man – who was holding a “long, black object” – stood up, ran away and then dropped off the side of the building, the officer said.

Shortly after the shooting, Bagley searched the roof and found a screwdriver, he testified Monday, as well as an impression in the gravel that indicated someone had been lying in a prone position, like a sniper would.

“You’ve got markings of elbows, knees and feet, to where somebody was in the line of sight of where Charlie’s tent was,” the officer said.

Law enforcement reviewed hundreds of hours of videos to track the shooter’s movements, including UVU campus surveillance footage, said David Hull, a former investigator for the State Bureau of Investigation.

A man believed to be Robinson was spotted on campus surveillance footage four separate times on September 10, he said – twice before the shooting, a third time when the shooting occurred and a fourth time in the early morning hours of the following day.

After midnight on September 11, a doorbell camera captured a vehicle that Hull said resembled Robinson’s car parking on a residential street near campus.

“We know from the UVU footage that the person we believed to be Mr. Robinson had an interaction with law enforcement, and a short period after that, the vehicle comes to that house,” the investigator said, adding cell phone data also indicated Robinson was in the area at the time.

In woods near campus, investigators said they found the suspected murder weapon – a Mauser Model 98 .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle with a mounted scope – wrapped in a towel. The firearm contained one spent round and three unspent rounds, which were each engraved with messages, according to charging documents.

DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the gun’s trigger, the fired cartridge casing, two of the other cartridges and the towel, prosecutors said. Robinson’s defense team has said a more complex analysis is needed because forensic reports indicate DNA from multiple people – up to “five or more” – was found on some items.

A federal analysis of the bullet fragments recovered from Kirk’s body “could not be identified or excluded” as being fired by the recovered rifle, according to court documents. The defense had seized upon this report in court filings, noting the report “was unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Mr. Robinson” and thus could be exculpatory.

An inconclusive ballistics result is not uncommon, as the analysis depends on the size and condition of the bullet fragments recovered.

The day after the shooting, Robinson’s parents realized circulating images of the suspect – who was still at large – and the alleged murder weapon resembled their son and his gun, according to an account the couple gave investigators cited in charging documents.

Robinson’s parents convinced him to meet at their home, where he “implied that he was the shooter and stated that he couldn’t go to jail and just wanted to end it,” prosecutors wrote in charging documents.

“When asked why he did it, Robinson explained there is too much evil and the guy [Charlie Kirk] spreads too much hate,” they wrote.

Roommate likely a key figure

The evidence presented this week is also expected to include a videotaped statement by a key witness: Robinson’s former roommate, who has been described in court documents as Robinson’s romantic partner.

The roommate – who the prosecution, citing Robinson’s mother, described in court documents as a person who was “transitioning genders”– is expected to offer insight into messages the pair purportedly exchanged after the fatal shooting, including what investigators allege is a confession by Robinson.

The Utah County Attorney’s Office granted the roommate limited immunity in exchange for the recorded statement, given to investigators in April.

On the day Kirk was killed, Robinson messaged his roommate to “drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard,” according to charging documents.

Prosecutors said the roommate found a handwritten note under the keyboard that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”

“you weren’t the one who did it right????” the roommate messaged Robinson, per the documents.

“I am, I’m sorry,” Robinson allegedly replied.

In subsequent messages included in charging documents, Robinson referenced engraving bullets and leaving his rifle wrapped in a towel.

Asked why he did it, Robinson allegedly wrote to his roommate, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated.”

After writing he was going to turn himself in, prosecutors said Robinson instructed his roommate to delete their messages.

“if any police ask you questions ask for a lawyer and stay silent,” he allegedly wrote.

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CNN’s Andi Babineau reported from Provo, Utah, while Nicki Brown reported and wrote this story in New York. CNN’s Kristen Holmes contributed to this report.