Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old charged with murdering Charlie Kirk, will stand trial, a Utah judge ruled Tuesday. He still faces the possibility of the death penalty.
Utah District Judge Tony Graf sided with prosecutors, who told the court they have “a mountain of evidence” that Robinson shot Kirk as the conservative activist spoke to a crowd of thousands at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.
Robinson denies aggravated murder, a capital offense under Utah law, along with six other charges tied to the shooting. He turned himself in the day after Kirk was killed, and his lawyers have not put forward an alternative explanation for the death.
Robinson’s defense team had pushed to keep the case from going to trial at all, or at minimum to strip the death penalty from the table. They argued prosecutors had not shown that the shooting endangered anyone else in the crowd — an aggravating factor Utah law requires to make a defendant eligible for capital punishment. The judge was not persuaded.
Kirk’s family called the ruling “an important step in our family’s pursuit of justice.”
“Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father,” the family said in a statement.
Prosecutors say Robinson fired from a rooftop more than 400 feet from Kirk, 31, knowing the shot could have struck and killed bystanders at the open-air event.
Kirk built Turning Point USA into a major force in mobilizing young conservative voters, work credited with helping President Donald Trump win a second term. Trump has since spoken publicly about Kirk’s death and his legacy.
Investigators say a bullet recovered from the rifle was engraved with the words “Hey Facist! CATCH!” — evidence prosecutors argue shows Robinson targeted Kirk over his politics. Prosecutors have also pointed to a text message they allege Robinson sent about Kirk: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Defense attorneys dispute that prosecutors have proven a political motive.
Robinson is due back in court October 23, when a trial date is expected to be set.
