The 23-year-old accused of killing Charlie Kirk confessed to his roommate shortly after the shooting and said he wished he had not done it, according to a video interview played in a Utah courtroom on Thursday.
Prosecutors presented the recording as key evidence in a week-long preliminary hearing meant to determine if the case against defendant Tyler James Robinson can proceed to trial.
Robinson is accused of fatally shooting Kirk, a conservative activist, as he spoke at Utah Valley University in Utah last September. The hearing is taking place a few miles from the campus.
Thursday’s court proceedings in Provo, Utah, provided more insight into Robinson’s mindset after the shooting. The roommate, Lance Twiggs, was Robinson’s romantic partner at the time of the shooting, authorities have said.
Robinson confessed to Twiggs by phone shortly after the shooting, officials say, texting: “I had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred.”
Twiggs recounted seeing Robinson in person after they had already texted about the shooting. He said: “I just asked him in person if what he said was true the night before, and he said it was.
“He started crying a little bit and said he wishes he hadn’t done it.”
Twiggs said Robinson “kept going around and just doing stuff, I think, to keep himself busy”. He added that Robinson eventually said he would talk to his parents or turn himself over to authorities.
Twiggs also recounted discussing bullet engravings with Robinson about a month before the shooting. Robinson had said he was planning to go hunting with his family and asked Twiggs if they had a Dremel, a kind of power tool, to put messages on the bullets, Twiggs said.
After the shooting, law enforcement recovered bullets with messages such as “Hey Facist! Catch!” Robinson referenced the engravings in his texts after Kirk’s killing with Twiggs.
Twiggs is not facing any charges and has cooperated with law enforcement, officials have said.
Prosecutors in Utah are seeking the death penalty for Robinson, who has yet to enter a plea. Robinson turned himself in to authorities after his parents grew suspicious that he was involved and confronted him.
This week’s preliminary hearing, which began on Monday and is set to conclude by the weekend, has provided more granular detail about the prosecution’s case, arguing that Robinson shot Kirk and targeted him because of his political beliefs.
Kirk made his name by challenging liberals to debate him on college campuses and founded the activist group Turning Point USA, becoming an influential – and controversial – right-wing voice and ally to President Donald Trump.
Lawyers on both sides of the case have spent much of their time this week arguing over what evidence should be shown to the public before the case heads to trial.
The defence has argued to keep much of the evidence from the media and public during the preliminary hearing because the information could bias potential jurors. But prosecutors as well as an attorney for Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk – who has been in the courtroom with other family members – have pushed back.
Jeffrey Neiman, Erika Kirk’s lawyer, argued in a legal filing that every exhibit used in the hearing should be visible to those in the courtroom.
He said: “[In] the absence of transparency, speculation and conspiracy theories related to the tragic assassination of Mr Kirk will continue to proliferate in the public domain, breeding doubt and distrust in the judicial system.”
Online influencers have for months fanned conspiracy theories about Kirk’s death that have frustrated his friends and family.
Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and several other offences, including allegations he tampered with a witness by telling his roommate to delete incriminating text messages and not talk to police.
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