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Federal officials announced Monday that investigators had found DNA evidence linking Tyler Robinson to the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk and also uncovered a text message where Robinson talked about killing the conservative activist — revelations that come as FBI Director Kash Patel faces increasing scrutiny over his leadership during the probe.
On the television program Fox & Friends, Patel said Robinson had sent a text before the shooting, saying he had an opportunity to “take out” Kirk and “he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for.” It is unclear who Robinson sent the text to, or whether that person alerted law enforcement. A similar message had allegedly been contained in a note that was destroyed, but recovered by law enforcement, Patel said.
“We learned some shocking things when we spoke to his family and friends,” Patel said in the interview.
The FBI collected a screwdriver containing Robinson’s DNA on the rooftop of a building at Utah Valley University and a firearm wrapped in a towel that had been discarded in a nearby wooded area. The towel also had Robinson’s DNA on it, Patel said, adding that the firearm was still being processed for forensic evidence.
Kirk, 31, was a beloved figure in the conservative movement who in death won praise for using dialogue to make his case. He was known for his unfiltered, hard-right opinions on heated topics such as abortion, immigration and gender identity, comments that frequently drew fierce criticism, particularly on college campuses he visited. His death by a single gunshot during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University shocked the nation and has led to vigorous debate over the motivations allegedly driving Robinson, the 22-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder.
During a round of interviews Sunday morning, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox alleged that Robinson subscribed to a “leftist ideology” and became radicalized after he dropped out of Utah State University in 2021. While Robinson’s parents are registered Republicans, their son is not affiliated with any political party and apparently holds more liberal views.
Robinson has not been cooperating with investigators, but the people closest to him have been working with police, Cox said. So far, Robinson’s friends have painted a picture of a young person radicalized in the dark corners of the internet, according to the governor.
“Clearly, there was a lot of gaming going on, friends that have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, Reddit culture and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep,” Cox said.
Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said Robinson had an “obsession” with Kirk based on information they’ve discovered so far, and they are looking at whether others knew of the threat he posed.
“Did they … hear it and think it was a joke? That is what we’re trying to find out now,” he told Fox News. “If there is a larger network here, we will get that out to the public as soon as we can.”
There has been much discussion over Robinson’s partner, who he lives with and who Cox said is “transitioning from male to female.” Cox emphasized in a television interview over the weekend that the person did not have any knowledge of the attack and “was shocked when they found out about it.”
Moments before he was fatally shot on the Utah campus on Wednesday, Kirk was asked by an audience member how many mass shootings were carried out by trans people in the United States.
“Too many,” Kirk responded.
The Violence Prevention Project at Hamline University found that the majority of shootings where four or more people were wounded in a public location were carried out by men. Just 2% of shootings in the last decade were carried out by women and less than 1% were transgender people, according to the data.
Robinson turned himself over to police after his father saw images of him in a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans flashing across television and computer screens amid the FBI’s sweeping manhunt for the shooter. The family called their church bishop — also a neighbor — when Robinson threatened to take his own life, according to a law enforcement source who was not authorized to discuss the investigation.
Cox has emphasized that authorities are still trying to determine what led to the fatal shooting and what role, if any, political ideology played in the incident. More information may come to light on Tuesday when Robinson is expected to be criminally charged.
“The why behind this … we’re all drawing lots of conclusions on how someone like this could be radicalized. And I think that those are important questions for us to ask and important questions for us to answer,” Cox told “Meet the Press.
Meanwhile, Patel has faced criticism for his postings on X in the hours after the shooting saying that the “subject for the horrific shooting” had been taken into custody. Less than two hours later, investigators said they had ruled that person out as a suspect and released them after questioning. Robinson would not be arrested for another day.
The announcement was in sharp contrast to how the FBI and other law enforcement agencies typically handle the arrest of a potential suspect in high-profile cases, especially one where the identity of a suspect may not be immediately clear. In similar incidents in the past, law enforcement agencies will often not confirm whether anyone in custody is a suspect until several hours after their detention in an effort to solidify their involvement.
Law enforcement and political sources speaking on condition of anonymity said Patel’s message did not align with the cautious approach officials typically take in such situations and led to many questioning the director’s judgment.
Art Acevedo, former Houston and Austin police chief, said Patel’s lack of experience was evident in how he handled communications after the shooting.
“It’s unconscionable that at a historical high point for domestic and foreign threats, the FBI, the lead agency in combating them, is led by someone over his head. Our nation, the FBI, and the president deserve better,” Acevedo said.
Even before flying to Utah Thursday, Patel held a meeting with senior agents and unleashed on them. Patel and Bongino said on the profanity-laced call Thursday morning that they were under intense pressure to arrest the killer, according to The New York Times, which cited three people familiar with the exchange. Patel also called out agents in Salt Lake City for not having shared photos of the suspect with him sooner.
Patel’s actions seemed to spark confusion and frustration, even among conservative and right-wing pundits and politicians.
“Suspect still on loose,” Fox News host Laura Ingraham posted on X after news that Patel’s initial announcement of a suspect being in custody was incorrect. “Unreal. Get him.”
Joseph Biggs, a member of the right-wing Proud Boys who was convicted and sentenced for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the capital, blasted Patel on social media.
“Stop all this click bait s — you keep doing,” he wrote. “It’s unbecoming of the office in which you represent.”
In an interview on Fox & Friends on Monday, Patel defended his handling of the investigation, including social media posts he made the day of the shooting.
“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. “I was telling the world what the FBI was doing as we were doing and I’m continuing to do that.”
Patel is scheduled to testify before the Senate and House judiciary committees Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, about Patel’s oversight of the FBI.
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