The trial of Tyler Robinson, accused of assassinating conservative leader Charlie Kirk, opened Monday with Utah prosecutors presenting evidence from the September 2025 shooting at Utah Valley University.
Robinson is charged in the Sept. 10, 2025 shooting that took Kirk’s life during an event at the campus. The preliminary hearings, which run through Friday, saw prosecutors enter exhibits including video footage, affidavits, and images into the record.
Officer Chris Bagley, who was assigned security at the Kirk event, testified he saw Kirk fall to the left after hearing shots fired. He described students screaming and running as he tried to preserve the crime scene.
“I heard a person had been taken into custody shortly after Kirk was shot, but I later determined that person was unlikely to have been Kirk’s assassin after seeing a disturbance in the gravel on top of the Losee Center building that I described as a sniper pad with clear elbow and knee marks.”
Bagley’s testimony established the 15-officer UVU police force, with only six assigned to the Kirk event. Kirk’s private security provided additional coverage.
David Hull, lead investigator with Utah’s State Bureau of Investigation Major Crimes Unit, testified that video evidence shows Robinson visiting UVU four times between Sept. 10 and 11.
The first two visits were before the shooting. The third was at the time of the assassination. The fourth was around 12:38 a.m. on Sept. 11 — returning to the scene.
Hull identified what he believes was Robinson’s silver Dodge Challenger using Ring doorbell camera footage from the neighborhood.
Defense attorney Kathy Nester objected to every exhibit prosecutors presented. Judge Tony Graf overruled her every time except one — a compilation video prosecutors admitted contained “minor” edits including zooms and red marks directing viewers.
ROBINSON attorney Kathy Nester spent the first section of cross-examination of Bagley establishing the relatively small UVU police force — a total of 15, 6 of whom were assigned to cover the Kirk event. Other security was provided by Kirk’s private group, and Bagley said he did…
— Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) July 6, 2026
Graf ruled even minor edits were enough to block the compilation’s admission. Prosecutors recessed until Tuesday morning to obtain raw, unedited footage.
Graf restricted media access to graphic videos showing Kirk being shot. Those exhibits were admitted to the record but can only be viewed by the judge, legal teams, and officials with courtroom monitors — not the public gallery or news cameras.
The charges remain allegations. The case has not been proven in court.
Prosecutors Chad Grunander and David Sturgill are handling the case for Utah County. Robinson is represented by Kathy Nester and California defense attorney Richard Novak.
The preliminary hearings continue through Friday.
Kirk assassination trial: Judge Tony Graf officially denied a motion from news media to allow reporters to have portable electronic devices, though he “recognizes the importance of the press.” He’s already allowed it to be live streamed. @FDRLST
— Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) July 6, 2026
After a long back-and-forth of objections to admitting a video, judge GRAF clarifies that there are three levels of admission of evidence that the STATE must request:
1) That it is admitted as evidence to the record
2) Publication for the view of the courtroom
3) Publication in…— Breccan F. Thies (@BreccanFThies) July 6, 2026
