Federal investigators say DNA evidence has tied 22-year-old Tyler Robinson to the fatal shooting of U.S. conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, a development that cements the case against the suspect following last week’s dramatic arrest.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed Monday that DNA collected from a towel wrapped around the murder weapon, along with genetic material found on a screwdriver at the scene, matched Robinson.
“The DNA hits are positive for the suspect in custody,” Patel told Fox News, adding that a handwritten note discovered by investigators showed premeditation. “It basically says, ‘I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.’”
Kirk, 31, a father of two and founder of the youth conservative group Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck with a sniper rifle while speaking at a Utah university event on Wednesday. He died at the scene.
Robinson was captured Thursday after a 33-hour manhunt and is expected to be formally charged with murder in Utah this week.
Authorities say the former honor student, raised in a Mormon Republican family, had recently become politically radicalized and was romantically involved with a transgender roommate.
The killing has sent shockwaves through U.S. politics. President Donald Trump will attend a memorial service in Arizona on Sunday, while Vice President JD Vance temporarily hosted Kirk’s podcast in tribute.
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Opposition figures have condemned celebrations of Kirk’s death online, while Utah Governor Spencer Cox linked the suspect’s actions to “leftist ideology.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said warning signs had been visible, citing testimony from friends and family that Robinson had become “more political” in recent months.
Patel, under scrutiny for initially misidentifying a suspect just hours after the shooting, defended his handling of the crisis. “Could I have worded it a little better in the heat of the moment? Sure. But do I regret putting it out? Absolutely not,” he said. Patel will testify before Congress on Tuesday about the investigation.
Kirk, a polarizing but influential figure in conservative politics, built a massive following on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where he often sparred with students over cultural and political issues.
The murder has intensified debates over political violence in the U.S., with both supporters and critics warning of dangerous escalation in an already polarized climate.