Tyler Robinson pleads not guilty to murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk

Tyler Robinson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Charlie Kirk after a Utah judge ruled there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

Utah judge orders murder trial for accused Kirk shooter

Tyler James Robinson, 23, pleaded not guilty to the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk after a Utah judge ruled last week that prosecutors have enough evidence to bring the case to trial, RTÉ News reports.

Judge Tony Graf confirmed the ruling in court: "For the foregoing reasons and based off the record and parties' submissions, it is hereby ordered that the defendant, Tyler James Robinson, is bound over for trial."

Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck during a rally on a Utah college campus on 10 September last year. Robinson faces the death penalty under Utah law if convicted.

The ruling followed a preliminary hearing at which both sides argued whether the case should proceed. Prosecutors presented video gamer chats and text messages they say demonstrate Robinson killed Kirk because he was "fed up" with the "hate" spread by the influencer. The defence challenged the validity of DNA evidence linking Robinson to the murder weapon.

Kirk had founded the right-wing youth organisation Turning Point, which campaigned for President Donald Trump in 2024. His wife, Erika Kirk, now leads the group.

"Today's decision, which comes nearly a year since Charlie was taken from us, marks an important step in our family's pursuit of justice for him," Erika Kirk said in a statement posted on X.

Source: RTÉ News