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The antheral charged with killing Charlie Kirk strolled Utah Valley University successful shorts and a T-shirt, bought a repast astatine Chick-fil-A and made interaction with Kirk's staff, earlier returning successful antithetic apparel to shoot the blimpish activist from a rooftop, an researcher testified Tuesday.
Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull described Tyler Robinson's alleged movements earlier and aft Kirk was killed arsenic prosecutors played antecedently unseen field surveillance videos successful authorities court. The suspect archetypal arrived connected field astir 4 hours earlier Kirk was killed, Hull said.
While the tribunal connected Tuesday watched video of Robinson allegedly walking to the extortion and lying down, Erika Kirk appeared to beryllium crying and dabbing her eyes.
Prosecutors accidental they intend to question the decease penalty successful the case. They are trying to person Judge Tony Graf that they person capable grounds to bring Robinson to proceedings connected an aggravated execution charge.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea. His attorneys person not commented connected his guilt oregon innocence. They have, however, sought to get the decease punishment taken disconnected the table, truthful acold unsuccessfully.
In a video shown Tuesday, Robinson goes implicit a railing onto a rooftop, crouches down and runs to a tract overlooking wherever Kirk was speaking, Hull testified. After the shooting, Robinson runs backmost crossed the roof, drops to the crushed and flees connected foot, Hull said.
Utah Department of Public Safety cause David Hull testifies during a preliminary proceeding for Tyler Robinson, the Utah antheral accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, connected July 7, 2026 successful Provo, Utah.
Trent Nelson - Pool / Getty Images
Investigators aboriginal recovered the suspected execution limb — a bolt-action firearm with 1 spent circular — wrapped successful a towel successful immoderate adjacent woods. Later that night, a constabulary serviceman again spotted Robinson successful the field area, Hull testified.
The defence objected to broadcasting a second, enhanced video showing the aforesaid surveillance footage that was played for media earlier, and the justice sustained.
This week's preliminary hearing marks the astir important presumption of grounds to day successful the case. Authorities allege Robinson, 23, changeable Kirk connected Sept. 10 portion the blimpish activistic and state of President Donald Trump was speaking to a assemblage of thousands.
Former assemblage constabulary Officer Christopher Bagley testified Monday that helium witnessed the shooting past went to the adjacent gravel rooftop, wherever it appeared idiosyncratic had been lying prone with a wide sightline to Kirk's location.
"It looks similar a sniper pad," Bagley told the court.
Court volition perceive connection from Tyler Robinson's roommate
Prosecutors besides program to contiguous video from the Washington County Sheriff's Office from Sept. 11 — the time Robinson turned himself successful — and recorded grounds from Robinson's roommate.
Judge Graf ruled past period that Robinson's erstwhile roommate did not person to attest successful person during the preliminary hearing.
Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed successful a enactment near for his roommate, who was besides his romanticist partner, that read: "I had the accidental to instrumentality retired Charlie Kirk and I'm going to instrumentality it."
Robinson reportedly texted his roommate that helium targeted Kirk due to the fact that helium "had capable of his hatred," prosecutors person said.
Prosecutors person besides said they program to contiguous DNA grounds linking Robinson to the suspected execution weapon, autopsy findings and witnesser statements. They contend the shooting endangered others astatine Kirk's field lawsuit — an aggravating condition that could marque the transgression punishable by decease nether Utah law.
A conveyance is parked extracurricular 4th District Court with galore images of Charlie Kirk during the archetypal time of a weeklong preliminary proceeding for Tyler Robinson, the antheral accused of sidesplitting Charlie Kirk, connected July 6, 2026 successful Provo, Utah.
Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images
Kirk's household members be hearing
Before his death, Kirk and the enactment helium co-founded, Turning Point USA, galvanized the blimpish younker ballot to assistance Mr. Trump triumph a 2nd term.
This week marks the archetypal clip Kirk's parents, Kathryn and Robert, and widow, Erika, person been successful the courtroom since the lawsuit began. Robinson's parents, Matt and Amber Robinson, besides person been contiguous and sat a fewer rows down the Kirks connected Monday.
Kirk's household concisely walked retired of the courtroom doubly connected Monday — erstwhile Bagley started testifying astir Charlie Kirk's accomplishment connected field and again erstwhile prosecutors introduced respective graphic videos of Kirk's shooting. Each time, they returned.
In a connection earlier Monday's hearing, Kathryn and Robert Kirk said, "Every tribunal proceeding serves arsenic a achy reminder of his decease and the nonaccomplishment that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children."
Prosecutors person a debased bar
The proceeding resembles a minitrial, but prosecutors request lone show that determination are tenable grounds to judge Robinson killed Kirk and should basal trial. The modular is little than for a trial, wherever prosecutors indispensable beryllium guilt "beyond a tenable doubt."
Legal experts accidental that means prosecutors should person small occupation advancing their case.
Defense lawyer Kathryn Nester repeatedly objected to grounds introduced by prosecutors. She was mostly overruled by the judge.
When she asked Bagley astir uncovering an bare pistol holster connected the crushed aft the assemblage fled, helium acknowledged helium ne'er took custody of the holster and didn't cognize whether it had been fingerprinted.
Spectators camped retired for hearing
Utah County residents Denae Branch and Jean Rivera lined up extracurricular the courthouse successful Provo astir midnight Tuesday and snagged 1 of the fewer seats disposable to the public.
The women said they were successful the assemblage erstwhile Kirk was changeable and present deliberation astir it each day.
"It feels similar a batch of the satellite conscionable kept spinning and we're inactive dealing with the trauma of it," Branch said. "Our hearts and minds are inactive trying to process it and, yeah, it benignant of helps being here."
Rivera connected Tuesday wore a garment that work "FREEDOM" -- conscionable arsenic Kirk did connected the time helium was shot. She said she hoped to perceive grounds astir Robinson's alleged confession note.
Carter Evans contributed to this report.
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