Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, was reportedly seen laughing with his attorney before an evidentiary hearing began Monday in a Provo, Utah, courtroom.
NewsNation reporter Brian Entin described the scene inside the courtroom in a post on social media. According to Entin, Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, was crying before the hearing started. Donald Trump Jr. was seated in the front row with his wife, while Robinson appeared to be laughing with his attorney before proceedings got underway.
Entin also reported that Erika Kirk left the courtroom when officials began describing the shooting.
Tyler Bowyer, who leads Turning Point Action, reacted sharply to the report on X.
“Robinson laughing before the hearing today. People trying to defend a monster like this are clinically insane,” Bowyer wrote.
Statement on behalf of Charlie Kirk’s immediate family, his parents Robert and Kathryn, his wife, Erika, and his sister, Mary:
Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father. Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has…
— Erika Kirk (@MrsErikaKirk) July 6, 2026
Fox News reporter Matt Finn also reported that Erika Kirk and members of Charlie Kirk’s family left the courtroom as a police officer began testifying about the moments when Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University last September.
New York Times reporter Robert Draper offered a similar account. He said Erika Kirk and her supporters stood up and left as law enforcement officials began describing the fatal shooting, including the moment Kirk was struck by a bullet and collapsed. Draper later noted that she returned to the courtroom after a break.
Draper also said Robinson seemed to become more focused when a former campus police officer described the chaos that followed the shooting. According to Draper, Robinson leaned forward slightly, and his expression appeared more intent. It was at that point, he said, that Erika Kirk and her in-laws abruptly left the courtroom.
Utah Valley University campus officer Chris Bagley testified during the hearing.
Monday’s hearing was held to determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence for the case against Robinson to move forward to trial. Prosecutors are also seeking to persuade District Judge Tony Graf that they should be allowed to continue pursuing the death penalty.
UVU campus Officer Bagley gives the first evidence testimony in the trial of Tyler Robinson for the Murder of Charlie Kirk
Notably, he lays out in detail when and where he was when he heard a gunshot and why he concluded it was a rifle shot. pic.twitter.com/VYlmLmCaLp
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) July 6, 2026
Robinson is accused of shooting and killing Kirk in September during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Before the hearing, Erika Kirk released a statement on behalf of the family, describing the pain of returning to court.
“Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father. Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children,” she said.
She also thanked supporters for their prayers and kindness, saying the family remained grateful for the outpouring they had received during the darkest period of their lives. She added that, out of respect for the judicial process, the family would not comment further at that time.
A source familiar with the matter told the New York Post before the hearing that some of the evidence presented could be difficult for the family to hear and that they might choose to leave the courtroom during certain testimony.
Robinson’s earlier court appearance in December had also drawn attention after he was accused of wearing a tie that matched the colors of the transgender flag in what some viewed as a mocking gesture.
He was reportedly in a relationship with his roommate, Lance Twiggs, who has described himself as transgender.
