Tyler Robinson, 23, faces seven criminal charges including aggravated murder for the September 10, 2025, assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, outside a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah [1, 2, 3, 4]. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Robinson allegedly confessed in text messages to his roommate and former romantic partner Lance Twiggs, apologizing and writing, "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out" and "I am sorry to involve you" [3, 5]. Twiggs said in a video interview with prosecutors that Robinson showed regret the day after the shooting, crying and saying he wished he hadn't done it. "I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before, and he said it was, started crying a little bit and said he wishes he hadn't done it," Twiggs said [1, 2, 6, 5].
Twiggs testified that Robinson had been planning the killing for about a week and had prepared by engraving bullets for a hunting trip before the shooting [6, 3, 5]. Robinson returned to Twiggs’s home the day after the murder and said he planned to turn himself in or talk to his parents about the incident [1, 2, 6, 5]. Twiggs cooperated with prosecutors and was briefly placed under FBI protection [5].
Robinson is studying to be an electrician and had lived with Twiggs since 2023, when they began dating two to three months after becoming roommates [1, 6, 3, 4]. His defense team sought to keep the video interview with Twiggs private to protect Robinson's fair trial rights, but the footage was played during the preliminary hearing on August 6 [6, 5].
Conspiracy theories about Kirk’s death have circulated but forensic experts confirmed his death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the neck [4]. Robinson has not entered a plea. The court’s preliminary hearing ended without a ruling on trial eligibility, with judges allowing briefs before deciding. The next hearing is scheduled for September 1, 2026 [2, 4].
