Tyler Robinson’s legal professionals shall be enjoying for the last word stakes when he goes on trial for allegedly killing Charlie Kirk over his “LGBTQ+ agenda’’ — as they attempt to hold their consumer from the firing squad.
Final week was the primary time prosecutors explicitly acknowledged a motive for Robinson allegedly utilizing his grandfather’s searching rifle to shoot the conservative activist within the neck in a chilling caught-on-video slayng Sept. 10, 2025, because the married dad of two was calmly debating college students at Utah Valley College.
Robinson killed Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Level USA, over what he referred to as the sufferer’s “political expression” in opposition to homosexual marriage, trans rights and “the LGBTQ+ agenda,” the prosecution mentioned at a listening to.
“I had sufficient of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” Robinson, 23, allegedly texted his accomplice Lance Twiggs, a organic male who he referred to as by his trans furry title “Luna.”
That “hatred” pushed Robinson to allegedly take the rifle to a campus rooftop and fatally shoot Kirk as he spoke to a crowd of 4,000 folks — a criminal offense that would land him execution by firing squad.
Kirk had oft spoken in opposition to homosexual marriage, trans rights and “the LGBTQ agenda,” which pushed Robinson to deadly violence, prosecutors instructed Choose Tony Graf final week at a pre-trial listening to in Provo.
“We all know what cost Kirk stood for, and people concepts have been repugnant to the defendant,” prosecutor Ryan McBride mentioned.
Choose Graf dominated that Robinson will stand trial for first-degree homicide with political concentrating on and different aggravating components, a cost that would give Robinson the demise penalty if convicted.
He may also face six different counts, together with obstruction of justice for allegedly hiding the homicide weapon and witness tampering for allegedly instructing Twiggs to maintain silent.
Political concentrating on together with the danger of collateral harm may qualify Robinson for the demise penalty by firing squad if he’s discovered responsible on the yet-to-be-scheduled trial.
Robinson allegedly left behind a observe that prosecutors say proves that the homicide was each deliberate and politically motivated.
“I had the chance to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it. … I want we may have lived in a world the place this didn’t really feel mandatory,” the observe allegedly learn.
Robinson additionally allegedly etched political messages and trans memes onto his bullets’ cartridge casings, comparable to “Notices Bulge / OwO What’s This?” and “”hey fascist! CATCH!”
Robinson’s protection claimed the texts and observe are too ambiguous to ascertain a motive.
“There’s a spot between what it’s Mr. Kirk mentioned and stood for … and what it’s Mr. Robinson felt about him,” Robinson’s lawyer, Richard Novak, claimed in closing arguments on the listening to.
“And it’s a major hole as a result of what it permits the state to do is to make it up. ‘Oh it have to be about this relationship.’ “
Robinson’s crew additionally argued in opposition to the reliability of safety digital camera footage allegedly displaying him prowling the campus on the day of the killing and DNA samples collected from a rifle and screwdriver discovered close to the crime scene.
However prosecutors mentioned the digital camera footage, DNA proof, textual content messages, observe and video testimony from Twiggs add as much as “a mountain of proof that proves he’s the shooter.”
But theories proceed to swirl that Robinson is a mere patsy overlaying some deeper plot, together with a preferred conspiracy idea that claims Kirk was killed by an exploding lapel microphone planted by Israeli brokers.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, has railed in opposition to such tin-foil-hat hypothesis and pushed for as a lot proof as attainable to be proven in courtroom and for the media cameras.
Robinson’s crew has pushed to maintain press cameras out of the courtroom and to maintain as a lot proof as attainable below wraps, claiming the rabid protection would prejudice the jury pool.
A prosecutor was already held in civil contempt of courtroom for operating his mouth to the media, violating a pretrial gag order, Choose Tony Graf dominated in June.
However Graf allowed the pre-trial listening to and nearly all proof reveals to be broadcast — save sure graphic photos of the killing, photos of Robinson’s alleged observe to Twiggs, which was unintentionally broadcast anyway, and sections of Twiggs’ video testimony.
A scheduling convention for Robinson’s trial date has been set for Oct. 23.
