Preliminary hearing begins in murder trial of Charlie Kirk

A former campus police officer testifies that he found an apparent “sniper pad” on a rooftop near where Charlie Kirk was assassinated, as prosecutors seek to convince a state judge they have enough evidence to put a Utah man on trial for murder.

Former Utah Valley University Officer Christopher Bagley says he witnessed Kirk’s shooting while the conservative activist was speaking to a crowd of thousands in September last year. Soon after, Bagley went to a nearby gravel rooftop, where it appeared someone had been lying prone with a clear sightline to Kirk’s location, he says.

“It looks like a sniper pad,” Bagley says, adding, “you’ve got markings of elbows, knees and feet.”

The testimony came as Kirk’s parents, Kathryn and Robert, and widow, Erika, were in the courtroom for the first time since the case began, along with Donald Trump Jr., US President Donald Trump’s son.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for defendant Tyler Robinson. A five-day preliminary hearing that began today marks the most significant presentation of evidence to date in the case.