Evidence links suspect to Kirk death, FBI says

As the investigation unfolds, scrutiny of Patel’s performance as bureau director grows.

- RICHARD WINTON, NATHAN SOLIS, SALVADOR HERNANDEZ AND HANNAH FRY

FBI AGENTS and other law enforcement officers collect evidence Thursday near Utah Valley University in the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

Federal officials announced Monday that investigators found DNA and other evidence linking Tyler Robinson to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as FBI Director Kash Patel faces increasing scrutiny over his leadership during the probe.

Patel said Monday that 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 whom Robinson sent the text to, or whether that person alerted law enforcement. A similar message allegedly had been contained in a note that was destroyed but recovered by law enforcement, Patel told Fox News.

“We learned some shocking things when we spoke to his family and friends,” Patel said in the interview.

The FBI said it 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.