The FBI director said DNA from a towel wrapped around the suspected firearm and from a screwdriver recovered at the scene have been matched to the suspect in custody in the killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested in connection with the shooting at Utah Valley University that left Kirk dead on Wednesday, the FBI director told a television interviewer on Monday. A bolt‑action rifle was found near the location of the shooting, and a screwdriver was recovered from the roof from which investigators say the fatal shot was fired. A formal criminal charge is expected later this week, authorities said, and a motive has not been established.
The FBI director said forensic testing had yielded "positive" DNA results from the towel and the screwdriver. He also said investigators had located a note at the suspect’s home that included language vowing to "take out" Kirk, describing it as essentially stating, "I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk." The director said the note appeared to have been written before the shooting and, although it had been destroyed, forensic evidence of the note was recovered, the director told Fox & Friends.
An inmate booking sheet from the Utah County Sheriff's Office obtained by the BBC lists charges against Robinson including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm. Local officials have not yet filed a formal complaint in court, but the FBI director said charges were expected this week.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said on Sunday that Robinson had been persuaded by his father to surrender and that he had been refusing to cooperate with investigators. Cox said Robinson had not confessed to the shooting. The governor also said a roommate and partner of the suspect, described by officials as transgender, had been assisting with the investigation.
The killing of Kirk, a polarizing right‑wing commentator and co‑founder of Turning Point USA, prompted swift national attention. Kirk, who helped build the conservative youth movement and hosted a touring series of campus events billed as the "American Comeback Tour," was participating in the campus visit when he was shot. He was a father of two and a frequent presence on conservative media and social platforms.
Vice President J.D. Vance announced he would host Monday’s episode of Kirk’s podcast as a tribute. The shooting has intensified scrutiny of campus security at political events and renewed debates about safety for public figures who draw large, partisan audiences.
Federal and local investigators said they continue to pursue forensic leads and interview witnesses as they prepare to present charges. Officials have declined to speculate on motive while evidence is still being processed and reviewed. The FBI director acknowledged scrutiny of the agency’s handling of the case but said forensic results were moving the investigation forward.
As the criminal process advances, court filings and law enforcement disclosures in the coming days are expected to provide more detail about the evidence and timeline investigators say link Robinson to the shooting. Local prosecutors will determine formal charges and arraignment schedules once the investigative phase concludes and charging documents are prepared.