FBI director says destroyed note from suspect said 'I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk'

FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday that a note found in the home of the suspect accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk included the line, "I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it." The suspect, identified by authorities as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was taken into custody on Friday in connection with the fatal shooting at Utah Valley University.

Patel told Fox News the note was written before the shooting and was located in the suspect's residence. He said the physical note had been destroyed but that investigators recovered forensic evidence that confirmed its language and that agents corroborated the content through what he described as an "aggressive interview posture" during FBI interviews.

Local authorities and the FBI released surveillance photographs nearly two days after the shooting as they worked to identify the person of interest. The images showed a figure wearing a long-sleeved dark top, long pants, sunglasses and a baseball cap with a triangle emblem. Officials said the images were circulated publicly before Robinson's arrest.

Robinson's arrest followed an investigation that involved forensic analysis of material recovered at his residence and interviews conducted by federal agents, Patel said. He did not provide additional details on charges or on a motive beyond the existence of the note. Law enforcement officials have said the probe remains active and that they are continuing to gather evidence.

Charlie Kirk, a conservative commentator, was shot at Utah Valley University in an attack that drew widespread attention. Authorities have released limited information about the timeline of events at the campus and declined to comment on whether the suspect and victim had any prior connection.

The FBI is leading portions of the investigation along with local law enforcement. Patel said the bureau had confirmed the content of the destroyed note through forensic work and interviews but offered no further specifics about where or how the note was destroyed or who else, if anyone, had knowledge of it.

As investigators continue to develop the case, prosecutors will determine the charges to be filed. Witnesses, surveillance footage and physical evidence remain central to the ongoing probe into the shooting at the university, officials said.