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PROVO, Utah – Charlie Kirk's family came face to face with his accused killer for the first time in a Utah courtroom on Monday, the first day of what is expected to be a week-long preliminary hearing.
Tyler Robinson, 23, was already in the room before the media was allowed in around 8:55 a.m. He was wearing a gray suit, pink shirt and black tie, with his wrists and ankles handcuffed. Later in the hearing, when videos of Kirk's shooting death were played for the parties and the judge, he showed no visible response when the sound of the fatal gunshot was heard.
Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull was on the stand to present several videos, including footage of Kirk's death, which were not shown publicly in court but were shown to the judge and attorneys for both sides. Two of them were described as showing the moment a sniper's bullet hit Kirk in the neck, and included audio that journalists could hear.
CHARLIE KIRK'S PARENTS AND WIDOW WILL ATTEND TYLER ROBINSON'S PRELIMINARY HEARING NEXT WEEK
Erika Kirk is escorted out of the first day of the preliminary hearing for her husband Charlie Kirk's accused killer, Tyler Robinson, in Provo, Utah, on Monday, July 6, 2026. (Alec Thornock for Fox News Digital)
While judge Tony Graf Jr. flinched and turned away from the screen when the gunshot rang out in one of the videos, Robinson remained still during both.
Kirk's family had already left the courtroom before they played. They were expected to receive warnings before graphic evidence was presented and were told twice before the murder itself was mentioned.
Tyler Robinson, charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
For much of the rest of the hearing, Erika Kirk and her in-laws, Rob and Kathy Kirk, sat side by side, watching the proceedings closely, occasionally exchanging glances or looking down. Other family members present included Erika's sister, Tonya, and her niece and nephew.
ACCUSED CHARLIE KIRK OF MURDERING TYLER ROBINSON DEFENSES HIMSELF AS PROSECUTORS' EXTENSIVE CASE COMES FOCUS
At another time, when Kirk's family was outside the courtroom, Hull also testified about the autopsy report, which listed Kirk's death as a homicide from a gunshot wound to the neck. During that testimony, Robinson's mother leaned toward her husband and put her hand on his shoulder.
The Kirks also had some high-profile supporters joining them near the front, including Donald Trump Jr., his wife Bettina and conservative commentators Jack Posobiec and Brandon Tatum.
Charlie Kirk was killed on September 10 during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Robinson's parents, who normally sit in the front row, were in the fourth row Monday with other family members.
CHARLIE KIRK'S ALLEGED KILLER, TYLER ROBINSON'S ROOMMATE AND LOVER RECEIVED LIMITED IMMUNITY: PROSECUTORS
A still image from the video shows Tyler Robinson, charged with the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, attending a preliminary hearing presided over by District Court Judge Tony Graf in the Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, US, on July 6, 2026. (Reuters TV/Pool via REUTERS).
The first witness of the day was Officer Christopher Bagley, now a member of the Spanish Fork Police Department. He was working at Utah Valley University when Kirk was shot and killed during a Turning Point USA event there on September 10, 2025.
He testified that he thought he heard a rifle shot, not a gun shot, coming from the Losee Center. He said he came to that conclusion after seeing an empty gun holster on the ground amid the initial chaos and looking up to discover that the Losee Center rooftop had a clear line of sight to where Kirk was speaking.
Charlie Kirk's parents, Robert W. Kirk and Kathryn Kirk, arrive at the Fourth Judicial District Court to attend a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, in Provo, Utah, U.S., on July 6, 2026. (REUTERS/Jim Urquhart)
He went to Losee's rooftop, where he found a black and red screwdriver and impressions in the gravel that he described as what looked like a “sniper blade.”
He also said he reviewed surveillance video showing the suspect on top of the roof and found footprints in the grass where the suspect fell and scratch marks on the roof above them. Defense attorney Kathy Nester only had about 10 minutes of cross-examination before the lunch break, but she asked Bagley if his police report for the day mentioned the direction where the shot came from.
Matt Robinson and Amber Robinson arrive at the Fourth Judicial District Court to attend a preliminary hearing for their son, Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, in Provo, Utah, U.S., on July 6, 2026. (REUTERS/Jim Urquhart)
It wasn't like that, he said. He also didn't know what happened to the gun holster.
As prosecutors planned to show some UVU surveillance videos, Robinson's defense objected. While Graf had overturned most of his objections throughout the day, he maintained this on the grounds that the video, due to edits that included blurring of faces, zooms, and red circles, had not been properly authenticated and could not be played.
The video is expected to be presented later, after prosecutors said they planned to provide an unedited version.
Sniper teams position themselves at the courthouse before a week-long preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, on July 6, 2026, in Provo, Utah. Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10, 2025 while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, also attended. (Francisco Kjolseth/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Hull was the second of four witnesses prosecutors said they planned to call to the stand Monday. He is expected to resume testimony Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. MT.
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Another video shown Monday included a vehicle believed to be Robinson's coming and going from a home near the UVU campus after midnight on September 11, approximately 12 hours after the murder of Charlie Kirk on September 10.
As Fox News Digital previously reported, Robinson also allegedly had an encounter with authorities in the area hours after the shooting.
At some point during the week, the court is expected to hear a previously recorded statement from Robinson's former lover, Lance Twiggs, who prosecutors say received a written confession after the crime.
Robinson has not yet entered a plea. He could face the death penalty if convicted of the main charge against him: aggravated murder.
