An image of a bullet casing engraved with the word  Catch!  is displayed during a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, who is accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, at the Fourth District Courthouse in Provo, Utah, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Spenser Heaps, Pool)

A weeklong preliminary hearing concludes Friday for the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors aim to show they have enough evidence against Tyler Robinson to proceed to a trial.

The 23-year-old Robinson is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 assassination of Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.


Robinson's lawyers plan to call a final witness as they try to raise doubts about the prosecution's case. The defense has previously challenged the reliability of ballistics tests on a bullet fragment recovered from Kirk's body and fought the release of a recorded interview with Robinson's roommate, Lance Twiggs, as well as chat room messages Robinson wrote on Discord.

There are only 14 seats for the public in the courtroom

People have been lining up early - sometimes sleeping outside the doors overnight - in hopes of getting a wristband for a seat in the courthouse this week. Only 14 wristbands are given out each day, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Chris Palmer, the court's director of security, warned Thursday morning that tents and other camping supplies won't be allowed as people seek a seat for the final day of the hearing Friday. He also warned against jumping in line or saving spots for someone else.

Earlier in the week, court security said it discovered some people had bought colored wristbands to try to sneak in.

Defense tries to sow doubt about ballistics evidence

One of Tyler Robinson's attorneys, Michael Burt, tried to inject doubt into the prosecution's case by challenging the reliability of ballistics tests on a bullet fragment recovered from Kirk's body.

Authorities sought to tie the fragment to the suspected murder weapon, but the results were inconclusive.

 Saying anything but i

#click2houston   #crimewatchhouston