WASHINGTON: DNA found at the scene of the murder of US conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has been matched to suspect Tyler Robinson, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday.

Robinson, 22, was arrested on Thursday after a 33-hour manhunt and is expected to be formally charged in the murder later this week. Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot on Wednesday during a speaking event on a Utah university campus. He was the founder of the hugely influential conservative youth political group Turning Point USA.

Authorities said the suspect used a sniper rifle to shoot Kirk with a single bullet to the neck from a rooftop.

“I can report today that the DNA hits from the towel that was wrapped around the firearm and the DNA on the screwdriver are positively processed for the suspect in custody,” Patel said on Fox News on Monday morning, referring to a screwdriver recovered from the scene.

Patel also discussed a note that Robinson is believed to have written before the crime.

The note is “basically saying... ‘I have the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I’m going to take it.’ That note was written before the shooting,” Patel said.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2025