Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist, was shot dead while he was debating in front of the audience during an event at Utah Valley University. Meanwhile, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, in an interview, revealed that the suspect accused of the assassination, Tyler Robinson, sent a text message ahead of the shooting stating that he planned to kill Kirk.
In an interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Patel stated that Robinson wrote a physical note stating that he had the “opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk” and would do so. However, the FBI Director further said that the note was destroyed.
Meanwhile, earlier, Patel said that investigators have found DNA evidence tying Robinson to last week’s crime scene.
“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 on Monday.
The rifle itself is being processed at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives laboratories in Maryland, Patel noted.
As per IANS, the FBI director also said that the suspect’s family has collectively told investigators that he subscribed to “left-wing” ideology and “even more so in these last couple of years.”
Charlie Kirk Murder
Roughly 33 hours after the shooting, Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old, was apprehended in Washington County, Utah, after relatives helped identify him from images released by investigators.
“Robinson’s father, who ultimately turned him in to authorities, told law enforcement that he recognized his son in that released video,” FBI Director Patel said in a post on X.
Notably, despite being a registered voter, state voting records showed that Robinson is unaffiliated with any political party and indicated that he did not vote in the November presidential election. Meanwhile, his parents are both registered Republicans.
(with IANS inputs)