Confessions, DNA and his grandfather’s rifle: This is the evidence so far against the Charlie Kirk shooting suspect

Tyler Robinson, in monitor at right, attended a court hearing virtually from prison on Sept. 16, 2025. (Scott G Winterton/AP via CNN Newsource)

More than two weeks after Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, attorneys for his suspected killer appeared in court Monday – the latest step on the lengthy road to a state trial.

Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old who grew up in a Utah suburb and briefly attended Utah State University before dropping out and enrolling in an electrical apprenticeship program, faces a flurry of charges in Utah related to Kirk’s death: aggravated murder, two counts of obstruction of justice, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of witness tampering, and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child.

He did not enter a plea to the charges against him at the Monday waiver hearing.

Robinson, who is being held in custody without bail, appeared in Utah’s Fourth District Court virtually, without video. The hearing is part of the state’s case against the alleged shooter, as the possibility of federal charges still looms. The hearing marked Robinson’s defense attorneys’ first appearances as his counsel. They scheduled another waiver hearing for October 30, where the suspect will appear in person.

Prosecutor Chad Grunander said Monday there was a “voluminous” amount of discovery material in the case, which he would provide to the defense shortly. He noted the killing took place in front of thousands of students at Utah Valley University, so the process to identify witnesses could be laborious.

The shocking killing – seen by students in person and many more people in videos that spread swiftly online – has inflamed an already polarized political landscape. The president, who credited Kirk with helping galvanize the youth vote for his reelection, has blamed the “radical left” for political violence and hailed Kirk as a “martyr for truth and freedom.” And people, including a Washington Post columnist, say they have been fired over comments made in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing.

Thousands of people attended an emotional memorial service for Kirk in Arizona, where the president and other prominent conservative leaders spoke.

Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty for Robinson, if convicted. CNN has reached out to Robinson’s attorney for comment.

Here’s what we know about the evidence authorities have assembled as they build their case against Robinson.

A string of confessions

Robinson appeared to confess to the shooting multiple times, in texts with his partner; in messages with friends on Discord; in conversations with his family; and to a family friend who was a former sheriff’s deputy.

Robinson’s partner, with whom he shared an apartment, shared their text messages with police, according to charging documents released by Utah County officials.

On September 10, Robinson allegedly sent a message to his partner instructing them to “drop what you are doing, look under my keyboard.”

Under the suspect’s keyboard, his partner found a note reading, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to police, who said they found a photo of the note.

In subsequent messages to his partner, Robinson seemed to confirm he had shot Kirk and said he “had enough of his hatred.” He said he had planned the attack for over a week and discussed his plans to recover the rifle from where he left it. And he referenced the bullets he had engraved with messages pulled from internet and video gaming jargon, describing them as “mostly a big meme.”

He also instructed his partner to “delete this exchange” and deny media interviews and said he planned to turn himself in to a sheriff’s deputy.

On Discord, an online platform popular among gamers, an account attributed to Robinson also seemed to confess to the crime, according to the Washington Post.

He told a small group chat he had “bad news,” and it was “me at UVU yesterday,” the Post reported, citing sources and screenshots the Post viewed.

He told the group he would surrender shortly and thanked them for “all the good times and laughs,” the outlet said.

Robinson’s partner also showed investigators messages attributed to Robinson on Discord, in which he discussed the rifle left at the crime scene and the engraved bullets, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox previously said.

Discord has said its investigation found no evidence the suspect promoted violence or planned the attack on its platform.

Finally, Robinson confessed to his father. After Robinson’s parents recognized their son in surveillance footage released by police, his father confronted his son on the phone, according to the charging document.

Robinson “implied that he planned to take his own life” in that conversation, according to the filing. His parents convinced him to meet them at home, where he “implied that he was the shooter,” says the document.

Robinson’s father eventually convinced him to speak to a family friend, a retired deputy sheriff. Accompanied by his parents, he turned himself in peacefully at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI says he was taken into custody on Sept. 11 at around 10 p.m.

Rifle recovered at crime scene

Another crucial piece of evidence authorities say ties Robinson to the crime is a bolt-action rifle, discovered in a wooded area near the campus. In alleged text messages to his partner, Robinson had discussed leaving the weapon wrapped in a towel and said he hoped to recover it after the shooting.

The weapon was identified as a Mauser Model 98 .30-06 calibre bolt-action rifle equipped with a mounted scope, according to court documents. The type of rifle and rounds fired – one spent round and three unspent – were consistent with “the facts officers observed at the time of, and immediately after the shooting,” says the charging document.

“I’m worried what my old man would do if I didn’t bring back grandpas rifle … idek if it had a serial number, but it wouldn’t trace to me,” Robinson allegedly wrote in text messages to his roommate.

When police released images of the weapon, Robinson’s father texted his son, asking for a picture of the gun, according to the charging document.

“my dad wants photos of the rifle … he says grandpa wants to know who has what,” Robinson allegedly wrote to his partner. “the feds released a photo of the rifle, and it is very unique. Hes calling me rn, not answering.”

Robinson’s father told authorities the police description of the suspected murder weapon “matched a rifle that was given to his son as a gift,” according to the filing.

DNA consistent with Robinson’s found on rifle

The towel, rifle and ammunition recovered from the wooded area near the campus were sent for forensic processing, according to the charging document.

“DNA consistent with Robinson’s was found on the trigger, other parts of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two of the three unfired cartridges, and the towel,” reads the document.

Surveillance video shows Robinson arriving on campus, governor says

Surveillance footage from Utah Valley University shows that hours before Kirk was shot in the neck, Robinson arrived at the university in a Dodge Challenger wearing a plain maroon T-shirt, light-coloured shorts, a black hat, and light-coloured shoes, Cox previously said.

The FBI’s initial photos of a person of interest show a man in a different outfit: he wears sunglasses, a dark blue cap, and a black T-shirt with a large American flag and bald eagle while walking up a stairwell.

Authorities also released surveillance video showing the suspect running across a rooftop overlooking the event, jumping to the ground and then leaving the scene.

At some point after the shooting, according to a police affidavit, Robinson changed into an outfit similar to the one seen in surveillance video.

By Zoe Sottile, CNN