Tyler Robinson made contact with Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA colleagues before deadly shooting, court hears

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:13, 7 July 2026 | Updated: 21:15, 7 July 2026 Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin Tyler Robinson made contact with several members of the conservative activist's organization Turning Point USA before the assassination, his pre-trial hearing heard.  Robinson, 23, is facing pre-trial hearings this week where a judge will decide if prosecutors have presented enough evidence to take him to trial for allegedly murdering Kirk at Utah Valley University in September 2025.  On Tuesday, Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent David Hull testified that hours before Kirk was killed, Robinson visited the amphitheater where the influencer was preparing to speak.  Hull said that Robinson interacted with several members of Turning Point USA at the scene, before leaving.  The agent did not testify as to what Robinson said to the organization's members, but Hull added that Robinson also bought food from a campus Chick-fil-A roughly two hours before Kirk was killed.  Hull also noted that a police officer interacted with the suspect on campus the day after the shooting, amid the intense manhunt for Kirk's killer.  He said Robinson returned to the UVU campus during the manhunt, but during his conversation with the police officer he set off alarm bells.  Hull said the officer had 'cop intuition' about Robinson and wrote down his license plate number, which later helped investigators prove that the 23-year-old was on campus that day, he testified.  Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin Tyler Robinson made contact with several members of the conservative activist's organization Turning Point USA before the deadly shooting, according to testimony from Utah State Bureau of Investigation agent David Hull (pictured) on Tuesday Robinson, allegedly seen in surveillance at the UVU campus on the morning of Kirk's shooting, allegedly spoke to Kirk's entourage and visited a Chick-fil-A in the hours before he allegedly killed Kirk  Prosecutors are set to present a raft of evidence against Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin Tyler Robinson as his pre-trial hearings got underway this week The bombshell testimony came after prosecutors shared never-before-seen footage allegedly showing Robinson prowling the UVU campus on the day of the shooting.  Robinson was seen walking with a limp in the security footage, and also visiting the campus at least four times in his Dodge Challenger car in the day before the shooting.  Earlier today, the defense was dealt a massive blow after the judge ruled prosecutors could play the never-before-seen footage of his movements on the day Kirk was killed. After months of back-and-forth over the footage, Judge Tony Graf allowed video of Robinson driving into a parking garage, walking away, returning, and leaving to be played in court. Hull testified as they played the footage, which is when he revealed that Robinson had spoken with members of Kirk's group before the shooting.  The surveillance is expected to be central to the prosecution's case at Robinson's pre-trial hearings this week, after which Utah District Court Judge Tony Graf will decide if the case will head to trial.  The 23-year-old student has remained in custody in Utah ever since his arrest 33 hours after Kirk was killed.  Charlie Kirk speaks to a crowd during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, before he was shot dead Prosecutors say Robinson drove a grey Dodge Challenger for four hours to the UVU campus, and on Tuesday they presented never-before-seen footage of the vehicle stalking the area before Kirk's assassination Authorities are also expected to cite previously released surveillance footage, showing the suspect climbing onto the roof of the Losee Center building before opening fire moments later Prosecutors say they have compiled a slew of evidence in that time, including alleged DNA linking Robinson to the murder weapon, witness statements, and further surveillance tying him to the scene.  They are also expected to cite messages Robinson allegedly sent his transgender boyfriend on the day of the shooting, which said he 'had enough of (Kirk's) hatred' and that 'some hatred can't be negotiated out.'  At Robinson's first pre-trial hearing on Monday, Utah Valley University police officer Chris Bagley - the first officer at the scene - testified that he was near the stage when Kirk was hit by a single bullet in the neck, sending the crowd scrambling for safety.  Bagley described the moments as 'chaotic,' but said he quickly realized there was a raised roof across from where Kirk was shot that could have been where the assassin fired from. He testified that he raced to the rooftop of the Losee Center building and found a 'sniper pad,' with the gravel on the roof imprinted from where the suspect had laid down to take the fatal shot. At Robinson's first pre-trial hearing on Monday, Utah Valley University police officer Chris Bagley - the first officer at the scene - testified that he was near the stage when Kirk was hit by a single bullet in the neck, sending the crowd scrambling for safety Robinson texted his transgender partner, Lance Twiggs, 'I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I'm going to take it', according to authorities  Investigators claimed to find bullets engraved with political messages in the gun Robinson allegedly used (pictured), including one reading, 'Hey fascist! CATCH! In cross-examination from Robinson's attorney Kathryn Nester, Bagley said he reported finding an empty pistol holster on the ground after the crowd fled. Bagley admitted he did not take the holster into evidence, and said he did not have any bodycam footage from that day because his camera ran out of batteries. When investigators scoured the scene, they later discovered a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel left near the campus. Engraved on unfired bullet casings found with the rifle were political messages that read, 'Hey fascist! CATCH!', and 'If you read This, you are GAY. Lmao', officials said. In the chaotic manhunt for Kirk's killer, authorities issued a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest - with Robinson eventually turning himself in 33-hours later.  Robinson has not yet pleaded in the case.