By Peter Omopo
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that DNA evidence ties 22-year-old Tyler Robinson to the fatal shooting of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Monday that forensic tests showed DNA recovered from a towel wrapped around the firearm and from a screwdriver at the scene matched the suspect now in custody.
Robinson was arrested last Thursday following a 33-hour manhunt. He is expected to be formally charged this week with the murder of Kirk, who was shot in the neck by a sniper rifle during a speaking engagement at a Utah university on September 11.
Kirk, 31, was the founder of Turning Point USA, a powerful conservative youth organization, and a close ally of US President Donald Trump.
Patel also revealed that investigators discovered a note allegedly written by Robinson before the shooting, outlining his intent to kill Kirk. “Even though it has been destroyed, we have found forensic evidence of the note,” he said.
Authorities said Robinson, once considered a brilliant high school student raised in a Mormon Republican household, had recently become “more political.” Utah Governor Spencer Cox claimed the suspect was romantically involved with a transgender roommate and held “leftist ideology.”
The FBI has faced criticism over its handling of the case, particularly after Patel prematurely announced an earlier arrest that turned out to be a false lead. Defending himself on Monday, Patel said: “Could I have worded it a little better in the heat of the moment? Sure. But do I regret putting it out? Absolutely not.”
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend a memorial service for Kirk in Arizona on Sunday. Vice President JD Vance hosted Kirk’s podcast on Monday in tribute to the slain activist.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino described the murder as “planned,” citing multiple warning signs in Robinson’s behavior reported by his friends and family.
Robinson is expected to be charged on Tuesday by Utah authorities.
