The family of slain conservative icon Charlie Kirk came face to face with Tyler Robinson — the accused assassin of the Turning Point USA founder — for the first time on Monday.
Kirk’s parents, Robert and Kathryn, and his widow, Erika, sat in a Utah courtroom on Monday, during the first day of what is expected to be a weeklong preliminary hearing before the case against the 23-year-old assassin suspect goes to trial.
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Kirk’s close friends, including Donald Trump Jr., Jack Posobiec, and Brandon Tatum, were also present in the courtroom on Monday.
Ahead of their court appearance, Kirk’s family released a statement, saying, “Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father.”
“Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children,” they continued.
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“We remain deeply grateful for the support, prayers, and kindness we have received,” the family’s statement added. “This outpouring has sustained us during the darkest days of our lives.”
“Out of respect for the judicial process, we will not be commenting further at this time. We ask for continued privacy as we navigate this process and immense grief,” they concluded.
Robinson, who was already in the room before the media were allowed to enter on Monday morning, showed no visible response when videos of Kirk’s assassination were played in the courtroom, according to multiple reports.
Judge Tony Graf, however, was seen suddenly flinching, before pursing his lips, as he watched footage that showed the 31-year-old’s murder.
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While the sound was cut for the cameras, reporters in the room could hear the fatal shot ring out in the video, at which point Robinson remained motionless in his chair.
Kirk’s family had left the courtroom before the footage was played, after receiving warnings that graphic evidence would soon be introduced. The free speech martyr’s family reportedly left the room on two other occasions during mentions of the assassination.
Separately, the judge and attorneys for both sides also viewed images of Kirk’s death that have never been shown to the public, brought forward by Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull.
Two of the photos were described as having revealed the moment a bullet struck Kirk in the neck.
While Kirk’s family was not present in the courtroom, Hull testified that the Turning Point USA founder’s autopsy report listed his immediate cause of death as homicide by a “gunshot wound to the neck.”
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The first witness was Officer Christopher Bagley, who was working at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 — the day Kirk was assassinated — and testified that he believed he heard a rifle shot — not a pistol shot.
Bagley added that he went to the rooftop in question, where he found a screwdriver, and impressions in the gravel that he said looked like a “sniper’s pad.”
He also mentioned viewing surveillance footage that showed the suspect on the roof, and noted that he saw footprints in the grass where the suspect dropped down from the building, as well as scuff marks on the roof above them.
During the court hearing, footage was also submitted as evidence showing Robinson had visited Utah Valley University’s campus four times on September 10, 2025, with his final appearance after midnight on September 11 — about 12 hours after Kirk’s murder.
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Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.