A student who witnessed the murder of Charlie Kirk has made a chilling statement after the suspected assassin made his first appearance in court.
Suspect Tyler Robinson appeared in court this week after he was charged with aggravated murder in September following the death of Kirk at Utah Valley University.
The political commentator was speaking on stage during the event to a 3,000-strong crowd as part of his American Comeback tour when he was struck in the neck by a gunshot.
Kirk died as a result of his injuries and a manhunt ensued for the shooter.
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Robinson was later arrested under suspicion of the murder and arrived in court yesterday (December 11), appearing in shackles and accompanied by security.
During the proceedings, District Court Judge Tony Graf put a halt to a media livestream and ordered for the camera to be moved.
This came after Robinson’s attorneys argued the stream showed the defendant’s shackles in violation of a courtroom order.
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Graf said: “This court takes this very seriously. While the court believes in openness and transparency, it needs to be balanced with the constitutional rights of all parties in this case.”
Many witnesses to Kirk’s death attended the hearing yesterday, with one student recalling what he saw.
According to a report by CTV News, Brigham Young University student William Brown, who was reportedly just 10 feet away from Kirk at the time he was shot, said: “I witnessed a huge event, and my brain is still trying to make sense of it. I feel like being here helps it feel more real than surreal.”
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Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has spoken out in support of cameras remaining in the courtroom, saying: “We deserve to have cameras in there.”
Erika recently appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show where she recalled the moment she discovered her husband had been shot.
She told Kelly: “And I was praying to God that I was pregnant when he got murdered.”
Kelly replied: “Oh, wow. I thought of that once... Whether it was meant to be or whether we’d get news like that.”
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With less than two months since the fatal shooting, Erika began to get emotional as she considered the loss of their hopes for a larger family.
“I know,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes. “I was like, ‘oh, goodness, that was going to be the ultimate blessing out of this catastrophe’. So, now when I see young couples, I tell them, ‘Please, don’t put it off’.”