Charlie Kirk shooting suspect's lawyers question bullet fragment evidence ahead of hearing

Attorneys for the man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk last September want to delay a court hearing for six months to review evidence relating to DNA found on the alleged murder weapon

Attorneys for the man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk last September want to delay a court hearing for six months to review evidence relating to DNA found on the alleged murder weapon.

Tyler Robinson’s legal team has asked Judge Tony Graf in Utah to delay a preliminary hearing scheduled for May, as it needs more time to prepare and analyze the evidence it has received. The hearing will essentially be a mini-trial of the man accused in Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.

One of the biggest pieces of evidence the lawyers are waiting on is DNA evidence related to the firearm allegedly used in the attack. Investigators found a decades-old German-made bolt-action rifle built for use in both World Wars in a wooded area near the scene of the shooting.

Kirk, an influential conservative podcaster and activist, was fatally shot while answering questions from the crowd at an outdoor event as part of a national tour for Turning Point USA.

In a court filing, Robinson’s attorneys said they were provided with a summary report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which they say indicates "that the ATF was unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied" to their client.