A recording played in a Utah court revealed that the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk expressed regret to his roommate the day after the shooting incident. Tyler Robinson, 23, appeared in court for the fourth day of the preliminary hearing where it will be determined if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial. Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder but has not yet entered a plea.

Charlie Kirk, known for his association with former President Donald Trump and his efforts in mobilizing young Republican voters during the 2024 election, was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10. Robinson surrendered to authorities the following day.

During the hearing, prosecutors presented a recorded interview conducted with Robinson’s former roommate and partner, Lance Twiggs, on April 20.

Robinson’s legal team opposed the public release of Twiggs’ statements, arguing that they could be misconstrued as a confession and potentially impact Robinson’s right to a fair trial.

Prosecutors claim that Robinson admitted his involvement in a note left for Twiggs, stating his intention to target Charlie Kirk. Additionally, Robinson allegedly sent a text message to Twiggs citing his reasons for targeting Kirk as being fed up with Kirk’s views.

Shortly before surrendering, Robinson posted a message in a chat room implicating himself in the incident. Twiggs, who provided statements to investigators in September and April, was granted immunity for his cooperation.

The State District Judge is expected to decide this week if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial. Robinson’s defense team has refrained from commenting on his guilt but has requested the exclusion of the death penalty as a potential punishment.

Representatives for the media and Charlie Kirk’s widow have urged the court to make Twiggs’ statements and other evidence public. They emphasize the importance of transparency to uphold trust in the justice system.

Jeffrey Neiman, the Kirk family lawyer, stressed the need for openness in the legal proceedings and filed a request for all evidence against Robinson to be presented publicly in real-time during the hearing.

In response, Judge Graf stated that not all evidence would be made public to safeguard the rights of both the victim’s family and the defendant.