Friend of Charlie Kirk labels courtroom evidence 'devastating' after chilling surveillance footage shown
Benny Johnson calls new video evidence an "evidentiary bombshell" as prosecutors present footage they say shows Tyler Robinson in a "sniper-prone" position.
New surveillance footage played in a Utah courtroom shows the moments prosecutors allege Tyler Robinson, the accused gunman, stalked and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Speaking from outside Utah's Fourth District Court in Provo, Benny Johnson, a conservative commentator and close friend of Kirk, labeled the new revelations an "evidentiary bombshell."
"This has been an overwhelming and demonstrable evidentiary bombshell for the prosecution," Johnson said Friday on "Fox News @ Night." "We've never seen anything like it. I have never seen more of a devastating case."
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The case is currently in the preliminary hearing phase, where prosecutors must establish whether there is sufficient probable cause to try 23-year-old Tyler Robinson for the September 2025 shooting on the Utah Valley University campus. Robinson has not yet entered a formal plea.
Some of the evidence the state has relied upon includes witness testimony, surveillance footage, alleged messages between Robinson and his roommate and recorded video statements from the roommate. Johnson said the evidence shown in court left him even more certain of what happened.
"My question to anybody doubting at this point if Tyler Robinson killed Charlie Kirk is, 'What more do you need?'" Johnson said.
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Johnson listed some of the tracking data that was presented, including new high-definition footage that prosecutors claim shows Robinson stalking Kirk on campus. Johnson said attendees inside the courtroom gasped when the video was played for the victim's family.
"We saw high-definition footage of Tyler Robinson stalking Charlie Kirk around the campus, a campus he didn't attend. Following him in four separate visits, scaling the rooftop and then getting into a sniper-prone position at 12:22 PM. Then he took the shot at 12:23 PM," Johnson said.
"And the courtroom gasped when we saw that extended footage today that was specially shown to the victim's family. So, this is a case that needs to be brought swiftly," he added.
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The defense team attempted to cast doubt on the evidence presented. Defense attorney Michael Burt accused Erika Kirk’s lawyer of wasting the court’s time, arguing the hearings needed to remain focused on their purpose.
The judge asked both the prosecution and defense to submit written briefs arguing whether probable cause has been established for the case to proceed to trial. Oral arguments are scheduled to resume in September.
Johnson argued that the grieving Kirk family deserves a quick resolution.
"We have a constitutional right to a speedy trial in this nation," Johnson said. "We should give that right to the Kirk family, who has already been visited an enormous amount of harassment and attacks, and we must get justice in this trial swiftly."