Tyler Robinson was identified through DNA evidence as the suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, according to FBI Director Kash Patel, who spoke Monday (September 15) on Fox News.
Robinson, 22, was arrested and booked into Utah County Jail on charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious injury and obstruction of justice. He’s expected to be formally charged Tuesday (September 16). Authorities haven’t confirmed whether he has legal representation.
Patel said DNA matching Robinson was discovered on a towel allegedly wrapped around the firearm used in the shooting and on a screwdriver found on a nearby rooftop. Both items were recovered close to the crime scene.
“I can report today that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody,” Patel said.
The firearm itself, a Mauser bolt-action rifle, is still undergoing forensic analysis at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives facility in Maryland.
According to Patel, Robinson’s alleged motive was political. “His family has collectively told investigators that he subscribed to left-wing ideology, and even more so in these last couple of years, and he had a text message exchange — he, the suspect, with another individual — in which he claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for,” Patel said.
The rifle was reportedly found near bullet casings etched with messages, including one that read, “Hey fascist! Catch!”
Patel said he and a team of FBI agents personally walked the crime scene to gather evidence and confirmed the DNA findings.
The FBI director also addressed criticism over his early announcement that a “subject” was in custody, a statement made before charges were filed. “The job of the FBI is not just to manhunt the actual suspect who did the killing, or suspects, but it’s also to eliminate targets and eliminate subjects who are not involved in the process, and that’s what we were doing,” he 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.”
Patel dismissed reports of tension with local law enforcement but acknowledged he was frustrated by delays in receiving investigative materials. “The photos were produced, they just weren’t produced in a timely fashion that I felt was appropriate for an investigation of this magnitude. So I came in and I accelerated that process,” he said.
Relatives and neighbors described Robinson as a “squeaky clean” and “considerate” young man from suburban Utah who had recently become politically active.
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