Suspect regretted killing US political activist Charlie Kirk, roommate says

A recorded interview with Lance Twiggs was played in court after prosecutors argued it supports the charges against Robinson. According to Twiggs, Robinson returned to their shared townhouse in St. George, Utah, on Sept. 11, 2025, the day after the shooting, admitted he was responsible, expressed regret, and said he wished he had not carried out the killing.

Robinson, who was studying to become an electrician at the time, faces seven criminal charges, including aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, and he has not yet entered a plea.

Kirk, 31, a prominent conservative activist and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. The killing drew national attention and intensified concerns over politically motivated violence in the United States.

During the hearing, prosecutors presented text messages allegedly exchanged between Robinson and Twiggs shortly after the shooting. The messages, previously made public, allegedly include Robinson admitting he shot Kirk. Twiggs told investigators that Robinson later became emotional and expressed remorse.

Twiggs was granted immunity in exchange for cooperating with investigators and participating in the recorded interview instead of testifying in person during the preliminary hearing.

District Judge Tony Graf ordered portions of the interview to be redacted after Robinson's defense argued that certain statements could unfairly influence potential jurors. An attorney representing Kirk's widow urged the court to allow the full interview and all evidence presented during the hearing to be made public.

The preliminary hearing is scheduled to conclude Friday, after which both sides will submit written arguments. Judge Graf is expected to decide on Sept. 1 whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

Throughout the hearing, Robinson's attorneys have argued that investigators failed to fully examine the possibility that someone else may have been responsible for the shooting.

Prosecutors also presented redacted text messages, a Discord group chat, and a handwritten note. Portions of the courtroom livestream were muted while evidence deemed potentially prejudicial was discussed.

According to the prosecution, the evidence suggests Robinson targeted Kirk because of his conservative political views, including comments about LGBTQ issues. The defense disputes that claim and has sought to limit the use of evidence suggesting a political motive, arguing it could influence efforts to seek the death penalty.

Twiggs testified that politics was rarely discussed during their relationship and that Kirk was not mentioned until after the shooting.

-Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; Editing by Jesse Mesner-Hage, David Gaffen and Cynthia Osterman/Reuters