Watch: New video shows moments before Charlie Kirk killing
Surveillance footage released earlier this week sheds new light on the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk, as a preliminary hearing for the accused shooter stretches into its third day.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of fatally shooting Kirk on Sept. 10, 2025, during an event at Utah Valley University, hosted by Kirk’s influential conservative youth organization, Turning Point USA.
Here’s what you should know about the preliminary hearing and the new surveillance footage released earlier this week.
Presenting the evidence
Prosecutors on July 6 began laying out their evidence against Robinson, kicking off a weeklong preliminary hearing, which will culminate in a Utah judge deciding whether the trial can move forward, USA TODAY previously reported.
Judge Tony Graf will not be determining Robinson’s guilt or innocence, but whether there is probable cause for him to face trial. Graf has explained that he is required to evaluate the evidence “in the light most favorable to the prosecution.”
Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder and other felonies, and Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said he intends to seek the death penalty.
Prosecution: Surveillance footage traces Robinson’s movements
Video evidence has played a key role in the hearing so far. Graphic clips capturing Kirk’s death as he was debating a student on the Orem, Utah, campus spread online within moments of the incident.
Now, prosecutors are turning their attention to surveillance footage that they say places Robinson at the scene of the crime. A portion of that footage was introduced to the court on July 7, according to reporting from The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network.
In it, a man can be seen running to the edge of the Losee Center roof, the Utah Valley University campus building that prosecutors say the fatal shot was fired from, The Arizona Republic reported.
After the shot is fired, the person can be seen walking to the northeast corner of the roof, at which point they lower themselves from the eaves and jump off. The surveillance video then cuts to a stairwell, in which a man can be seen walking with a limp.
Investigator says the man is Robinson
David Hull, who was an investigator with the Utah State Bureau of Investigation at the time, told the court he believes the man in the video is Robinson, based on the shoes the subject is wearing and other footage he had seen.
Hull described additional surveillance video, which he said shows Robinson’s Dodge Challenger arrive at a campus parking garage around 8:30 a.m. the day of the shooting, according to The Arizona Republic. He said Robinson later returned to the university on foot, carrying a blue backpack, bought food at Chick-fil-A and moved through campus.
The hearings are scheduled to go until July 10, at which point the judge will decide if charges can move forward.
Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY; Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic
Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at DPittock@usatodayco.com.
