US judge allows trial of man accused of killing Charlie Kirk to proceed

A judge in the US state of Utah ruled Tuesday that the trial of Tyler Robinson, accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk, can proceed, according to NBC News.

District Judge Tony Graf issued the ruling following a probable cause hearing in which prosecutors argued that sufficient evidence existed for the case to move toward arraignment, said NBC News.

Robinson, 23, is accused of shooting Kirk, 31, with a rifle from a rooftop during a rally at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025. Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA and an ally of US President Donald Trump, was killed in the shooting, which reverberated across US politics.

Robinson faces an aggravated murder charge, a first-degree felony that could carry the death penalty, as well as additional charges. He has not entered a plea.

Prosecutor Ryan McBride argued that Robinson's political views provided a motive and said firing a rifle into a crowd of about 3,000 people created a significant risk to others.

Defense attorney Richard Novak rejected the motive, saying there was no evidence Robinson had previously discussed Kirk or expressed views about him.

Attorney Staci Visser also argued that an aggravating factor involving risk to others should not apply because the prosecution alleges a single shot and a single victim.

Graf allowed the aggravating factor and found that prosecutors had met the required burden at the preliminary stage. The ruling does not determine Robinson's ultimate guilt or innocence.

The hearing followed an earlier prosecution presentation that included security footage, digital records and forensic evidence related to the alleged killing.