Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk, reportedly said he thinks about the shooting “every day” and made a disturbing reference to Kirk’s widow, Erika, in an off-microphone exchange with his attorney, according to a lip-reading analysis.
Robinson, 22, appeared calm and even shared a laugh with his lawyer during his first in-person court appearance in Provo, Utah, on Thursday—more than three months after Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University. Lip Reader Limited analyzed footage of Robinson before the hearing and reported that he said, “I think about the shooting daily … every morning … all the time.”
He also appears to mention Kirk’s wife, who was left to care for their two young children. At one point, the lip-reading analysis notes, Robinson said, “So, he had a wife…”
In another part of the exchange, Robinson reportedly referred to his own mental state, saying he had been “smoking a lot … Not sleeping at night … it’s driving me mental,” and added, “Unfortunately, it’s doing my head in. I’m not good for anything.”
During the hearing, Robinson, wearing a blue button-down and argyle tie, appeared largely unfazed before the judge. He is charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.
Kirk, 31, was shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in front of thousands of attendees.
Thursday’s hearing also addressed two procedural matters: Robinson’s defense opposed media access to the courtroom, and the court considered whether to release portions of a transcript from a phone hearing in October that allowed Robinson to wear street clothes in court. Judge Tony Graf deferred decisions on both issues after holding a private session lasting more than two hours. He scheduled a follow-up hearing for Dec. 29 to issue his rulings.