Charlie Kirk murder: Tyler Robinson's ex-roommate says Robinson was 'engraving bullets' month before shooting

Charlie Kirk assassination suspect Tyler Robinson was back in court for the fourth day this week for his preliminary hearing where prosecutors played a video interview with Robinson's ex-roommate Lance Twiggs in open court for the first time.  In the video, Twiggs said Robinson began "engraving bullets" around a month before the alleged shooting.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys spent days arguing over whether the video would be shown in court, and whether the public would be able to view it.

During the interview, Twiggs said Robinson told him that he had a "long drive to work" on the morning of the shooting.

"I don't know an exact time. I just know he left early. I heard him leaving, and he just said he had, like, long drive to work that day. So he was leaving early," Twiggs said.

Twiggs, told authorities that Robinson began "engraving bullets" around a month before the alleged shooting.

"I don't remember exactly when, but, he had said he was planning to go hunting with his family. And he asked me ... if we had, like, a Dremel to it because he said he wanted to create messages on bullets. and I just told him where Dremel was and, told him to make sure he doesn't, like, set off a bullet on accident in the house. But I didn't really think about it until then," Twiggs said.

Tyler Robinson told ex-roommate he wished "he hadn't done it'

Tyler Robinson had told his former roommate "he wishes he hadn’t done it" the day after Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University, a recording played in court revealed Thursday.

Twiggs said in an interview with law enforcement that the interaction happened in their apartment in southeastern Utah, more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from where Kirk was shot.

Tyler Robinson allegedly texted ex-roommate he 'hoped to keep this secret' after Kirk shooting

In alleged text messages exchanged with Twiggs, following Charlie Kirk's shooting, Tyler Robinson said he "had enough of his hatred."

"Why did I do it?" Robinson allegedly said to Twiggs. "I had enough of his hatred, some hate can't be negotiated out."

"I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence, going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven't seen anything in the news about them finding It. will update you by midnight," Robinson allegedly said.

Judge denies Erika Kirk's request to make hidden evidence public

Judge Tony Graf denied a request from Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, to have all evidence in the preliminary hearing presented in open court.

"The court has considered the request that exhibits be displayed in real time to the courtroom. After careful consideration, the court determines that not all exhibits will be visually displayed to the gallery and notes that it will use a tiered method as described first, whether it will be admitted to the court for consideration as it relates to probable cause. Second, whether it will be displayed only to the gallery, and third, if it will be published through the camera, to the public at large," Graf said.

Big picture view:

The hearing began Monday and is expected to continue through Friday as prosecutors seek the death penalty for Tyler Robinson, and this week marks the most significant presentation of the evidence against the Utah man.

The backstory:

Robinson is charged with aggravated murder for the killing of Kirk. Kirk was speaking to a crowd of about 3,000 people on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem when investigators say Robinson fired a single shot from a building about 140 yards away, striking Kirk, 31, and killing him. 
Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted. 

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