FBI: DNA evidence links suspect to killing of Charlie Kirk

WASHINGTON — Investigators have found DNA evidence linking Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, to the crime scene, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel said Monday, Sept. 15, 2025.

“We have the DNA on the screwdriver that was found on the rooftop and the towel that the firearm was wrapped in,” Patel said in an interview with Fox News.

The rifle is being processed at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives laboratories in Maryland, Patel said.

The FBI director also said the suspect’s family told investigators that Robinson subscribed to a “left-wing” ideology, “even more so in these last couple of years.”

Kirk, a right-wing activist, was shot in the neck and killed Wednesday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.

About 33 hours after the shooting, the 22-year-old suspect was arrested in Washington County, Utah, after relatives helped identify him from images that investigators released.

A family member of Robinson contacted a family friend, who then told the Washington County Sheriff’s Office that Robinson had confessed to them, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Friday.

During a Sunday appearance on NBC, Cox said interviews with Robinson’s friends and relatives indicated he had a “leftist ideology” that was “very different” from that of his conservative family.

State voting records showed that Robinson is unaffiliated with any political party, although he is a registered voter. The records also showed he did not vote in the November presidential election, which was the first since he turned 18. His parents are both registered Republicans.

Authorities continue to search for a motive. / XINHUA