Watch: Judge in Charlie Kirk Murder Case Jolts in His Chair, Is Visibly Disturbed Watching Unseen Videos of Assassination

The Utah judge overseeing the case against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, appeared to visibly flinch Monday while reviewing courtroom footage of the moment Kirk was shot and killed last September.

The footage was not shown publicly in the courtroom or online. Before the clip was played on monitors available to Robinson’s legal team and prosecutors, State District Judge Tony Graf made clear that the video would be handled carefully.

“The Court is not publishing this in the courtroom, nor is it being published, obviously, online. But the Court will watch it in court and to the parties, if you could protect your screens however you choose to, and then I’ll check to see when we’re ready, and then we’ll have it played.”

Graf appeared to flinch at the moment the shot was shown.

Brandon Tatum, a former Tucson, Arizona, SWAT officer and friend of Kirk, posted the clip of Graf’s reaction on social media, writing, “This may have been the most difficult moment of today’s hearing. The judge visibly flinched as footage of Charlie Kirk being shot was shown in court.”

“You could feel the weight of the room. Praying for Erika and Charlie’s family,” he added.

The emotional weight of the hearing was clear from inside the courtroom. Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, was reportedly crying before the proceeding began, while Donald Trump Jr. sat in the front row with his wife.

NewsNation’s Brian Entin wrote on social media, “Scene from inside the Tyler Robinson courtroom: Erika Kirk [Charlie’s widow] was crying before the hearing started. Donald Trump Jr. is in the front row with his wife. Tyler Robinson was laughing with his attorney before the hearing started. Erika left during the description of the shooting.”

The New York Times’ Robert Draper also reported that Kirk’s family left the courtroom as law enforcement testimony turned to the fatal attack.

“Erika Kirk and her supporters stood and left the courtroom immediately as law-enforcement officials began testifying about the details of Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting, when he was struck by a bullet and slumped over. She returned to the courtroom after a break.”

Draper added, “When a former campus police officer described the pandemonium seconds after the shooting, Robinson appeared to lean forward slightly, his facial expression more intent than before. That’s when Erika Kirk and her in-laws abruptly left the courtroom.”

Utah Valley University campus officer Chris Bagley testified about what he heard and saw during the Sept. 10, 2025, shooting and in the moments that followed. His testimony also addressed what appeared to be the nearby rooftop location allegedly used by the shooter.

David Hull, a former Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent, also testified. According to Hull, surveillance footage captured Robinson on campus multiple times on Sept. 10 and into the early morning hours of Sept. 11.

Hull said the footage allegedly showed Robinson driving a vehicle registered to him into a campus parking garage and then exiting it. Hull testified that he believed the person seen in the garage was Robinson. The garage was described as a “short walk” from where Kirk was shot shortly after noon on Sept. 10.

Additional surveillance footage allegedly showed Robinson in a campus stairwell wearing different clothing, including long pants instead of shorts, and limping. Hull suggested this may indicate Robinson was concealing part of the firearm under his pants.

Hull also testified that Robinson was allegedly seen in a stairwell that provided access to the rooftop from which the shot was allegedly fired. Video later captured an individual lying prone on that rooftop, and Hull testified that he believed the person was Robinson.

Monday’s hearing was held to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence for the case to proceed to trial. Prosecutors are also seeking to persuade Judge Graf that they should be allowed to continue pursuing the death penalty under an aggravated murder charge.

Following the Sept. 10 assassination, Robinson reportedly texted his roommate Lance Twiggs, with whom he was reportedly in a romantic relationship, that he shot Kirk because “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

The hearing offered a sobering look at the evidence prosecutors say connects Robinson to the killing of one of the most influential conservative voices in America. For Kirk’s family, supporters, and the broader conservative movement, the case remains a painful reminder of the growing hostility faced by those who openly defend faith, free speech, and constitutional values.

Robinson is entitled to due process. But based on the testimony and evidence described in court, prosecutors appear to be building a serious case as the nation watches closely for justice.