Charlie Kirk murder suspect Tyler Robinson makes first in-person court appearance,
The man charged with shooting and killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance Thursday.
Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice for hiding the rifle and discarding his clothing, two counts of witness tampering for instructing a roommate to delete texts and stay silent and one count of committing a violent offense in front of children.
Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. Robinson is being held in jail without bail.
Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
Big picture view:
Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, listens as one of his attorneys speaks during a court hearing in Provo, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Robinson was escorted into court with restraints on his wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks and smiled at his parents and brother sitting in the front row of the courtroom. He previously appeared in court via video or audio feed from jail.
His attorneys and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom. Several national and local news organizations are fighting to preserve media access to the case.
When the hearing began, Judge Tony Graf immediately moved the court into closed session and kicked the public out of the room.
Judge rules cameras will be allowed in court
More than two hours later, the hearing resumed with the judge speaking to attorneys regarding cameras in the courtroom. The issue was raised due to the pool camera showing Robinson's shackles and computers in the courtroom. Judge Graf then ruled that the pool would be relocated to another part of the courtroom to avoid showing the items in question.
RELATED: Charlie Kirk shooting suspect identified as Tyler Robinson
Tyler Robinson is seen with his attorneys during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk wants cameras in court — says there's nothing to hide
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has voiced concerns about the shrinking visibility around the case. She has questioned why the suspect is being shielded from cameras when her husband was killed in front of a crowd.
"There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered," she told Fox News' Jesse Watters in an exclusive interview.
"There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, analyzing my every smile, my every tear. We deserve to have cameras in there."
RELATED: Charlie Kirk's family: Who are his wife, kids, parents?
The backstory:
On Sept. 10, Kirk was speaking to a crowd of about 3,000 people at Utah Valley University in Orem as the first stop of his American Comeback Tour.
Investigators say Robinson fired a single shot from a building about 140 yards away, striking Kirk and killing him.
Booking photos of Tyler Robinson (Fox News)
Robinson was arrested the following night when he showed up with his parents to turn himself in at his hometown sheriff’s office in southwest Utah, more than a three-hour drive from Orem.
Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. Robinson is being held in jail without bail.
FBI photos of the suspect in Charlie Kirk's murder (FBI)
The Source: Information for this article was taken from FOX News, The Associated Press, and previous reporting by FOX Local.