Day Two of Tyler Robinson Preliminary Hearing: Video Placed Him in Sniper Position as Kirk Was Shot

Since the preliminary hearing opened Monday, July 6, in Provo, Utah, the most significant evidence yet in the Tyler Robinson case has been laid before 4th District Court Judge Tony Graf. Tuesday brought the footage prosecutors have been building toward.

What the Videos Show

David Hull, a former Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent and the lead investigator on the case, spent much of Tuesday narrating surveillance footage for the court. According to Reuters, Hull testified that the videos showed Robinson arriving on the Utah Valley University campus four separate times on September 10, 2025, the day Charlie Kirk was shot.

The most consequential clip, according to both Reuters and The Guardian, showed a person prosecutors identified as Robinson entering a rooftop, moving into a prone position, and staying there until a shot was fired at 12:23 p.m. The person then stood up, crossed the building to the north, lowered down from the roof, and walked away carrying something.

A second clip, described by The Daily Wire, showed a person believed to be Robinson rolling over a railing and dropping into a prone position on the Losee Student Center roof seconds before Kirk was shot. Hull testified the individual appeared to be walking with a "gait or a limp" on a third clip shot minutes before the shooting. Prosecutors and Blake Neff, a producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, suggested on social media that this could indicate Robinson was concealing a rifle under his clothing. Hull did not assert that conclusion in his testimony. He described what he observed.

The Broader Timeline Hull Built

Beyond the rooftop footage, Hull testified that Robinson interacted with Turning Point USA members at the campus amphitheater earlier that morning, according to Reuters. Robinson then bought food at a campus Chick-fil-A roughly two hours before the shooting.

In the early morning hours of September 11, a campus police officer stopped a vehicle Robinson was driving, Hull said. The encounter happened before law enforcement had identified Robinson as a suspect. The officer, acting on what Hull called "cop intuition," wrote down a partial license plate number. Robinson turned himself in to police later that day.

What Else Prosecutors Are Relying On

The surveillance footage is one strand of a broader case. As CBS News reported, prosecutors allege Robinson left a written note for his roommate, who was also his romantic partner, that read: "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it." The prosecution also says DNA evidence links Robinson to the weapon believed to have been used.

Former UVU officer Christopher Bagley, who testified Monday, described finding what he called a "sniper pad" on the Losee Center roof, with impressions in the gravel matching elbows, knees, and feet, along with a red-and-black screwdriver that appeared out of place. Robinson faces seven criminal charges including aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The Defense's Position

Robinson has not yet entered a plea. His defense attorneys, led by Kathryn Nester, have not commented on his guilt or innocence. Their approach in the first two days has been to raise doubt about the identification and chain of evidence rather than offer an alternative narrative.

On Monday, Nester pressed Bagley on whether anything found at the scene that day identified the shooter. On Tuesday, she asked Hull about a handgun discovered in a backpack on campus after the shooting. Hull responded that the handgun was not determined to be evidence in the case.

The defense also attempted to prevent the surveillance videos from being broadcast on the public livestream. Judge Graf allowed the footage to be played.

A preliminary hearing requires only probable cause, not proof beyond a reasonable doubt. No physical evidence has been publicly confirmed as directly linking Robinson to the rifle allegedly used. The note, the DNA evidence, and the surveillance footage have all been introduced as testimony and exhibits, but Robinson's lawyers have not yet had the opportunity for full cross-examination of all witnesses or independent forensic challenge. The proceedings are still in their second day.

Who Was in the Courtroom

Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk's widow, was present both Monday and Tuesday, according to Reuters. Kirk's parents, Robert and Kathryn, were also in attendance. Donald Trump Jr., described by Forbes as a close friend of Kirk's, was present Monday. Kirk's parents and widow left the courtroom briefly Monday when Bagley began testifying directly about Kirk being shot. They returned.

Robinson's parents were also present, seated a few rows behind the Kirk family, according to CBS News.

What Comes Next

The hearing is expected to run through the full week. Prosecutors have not finished presenting their evidence. According to Reuters, further evidence is still to come. Judge Graf will ultimately decide whether the state has established probable cause to send the case to trial, where Robinson would then enter a formal plea and the death penalty proceedings would begin in earnest.