The suspected gunman accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk left behind messages threatening to assassinate him and was tied to the scene by DNA evidence, FBI Director Kash Patel revealed on Tuesday.
Authorities say 22-year-old Tyler Robinson acted alone, though questions remain about his motive.
Patel told Fox News that investigators recovered evidence Robinson had written a note declaring he had the “opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk.” Though destroyed, the note’s existence was confirmed through interviews.
The suspect also sent a text message about his plan before the shooting. Separately, The Washington Post reported Robinson confessed on Discord, writing: “It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this,” shortly before his arrest.
According to Patel, forensic investigators matched Robinson’s DNA to items found at the scene: a towel wrapped around the rifle believed to be the murder weapon, and a screwdriver discovered on the rooftop sniper perch.
Despite the evidence, Robinson has refused to cooperate, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said. Authorities are interviewing his family and friends in hopes of uncovering a motive.
Court hearing scheduled
Robinson is expected to be formally charged on Tuesday. His first court appearance will be made via video link from his jail cell.
The killing has added to rising political violence in the United States, with both Republicans and Democrats condemning the act, though divisions remain in how Kirk’s death is being framed politically.
Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have suggested left-wing groups were indirectly responsible for Kirk’s assassination, despite a lack of evidence. Democrats counter that left-leaning figures have also been targeted in recent years, underscoring political violence as a nationwide problem.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking on Kirk’s podcast, blamed “the incredibly destructive movement of left-wing extremism” for creating conditions that led to the killing.
Meanwhile, Kirk’s supporters remember him as a charismatic figure who energized Trump’s young voter base in 2024. Civil rights advocates, however, view him as a polarizing activist who pushed unsubstantiated election claims and used inflammatory rhetoric against minorities.
Governor Cox revealed that Robinson, raised in a conservative Mormon household, had drifted ideologically from his family in recent years. State records show he was unaffiliated with any political party and did not vote in the 2024 presidential election.
Relatives told police he had recently expressed strong dislike for Kirk. Authorities are investigating whether online radicalization played a role.
Mourning and memorials
In Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson led a vigil in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, joined by lawmakers and supporters honoring Kirk’s legacy.
Back in Utah, mourners gathered at makeshift memorials near the shooting site, leaving flowers, notes, and chalk messages with Bible verses.
Dally Bronson, a sheriff’s dispatcher and admirer of Kirk, said she has been praying for both the victim and the suspect. “By all accounts (Robinson) was a good kid until recently, when something went terribly wrong,” she said tearfully. “This isn’t about politics — it’s about good and evil.”
