Featured Image Credit: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Politics, US News, News, Crime
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Politics, US News, News, Crime
New details have emerged about the bullet that killed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
A shocking new court filing was made on Wednesday (15 Apr) in the case against his alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, who is currently facing capital murder charges and a possible death sentence.
Kirk was fatally shot during a crowded open-air event at Utah Valley University in September.
The following day, 22-year-old Robinson surrendered to police at the Washington County Sheriff's Office. His DNA was matched to the trigger of a rifle, as well as fired cartridge casing, two of the three unfired cartridges and the towel used to wrap the rifle, which were found close to the scene.
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Text messages recovered by investigating officers showed Robinson telling his roommate of his plan to kill Kirk, telling them: "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."
Despite this, the suspect's defence filed a motion in January, stating that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had been 'unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Mr Robinson', after analysing a damaged jacket and four lead fragments.
According to the filing, the latter had not been suitable for a microscopic comparison.
In the case of the bullet jacket, while there had been a suitable comparison, there hadn't been 'sufficient agreement nor sufficient disagreement of individual characteristics to allow the examiner to identify or exclude the rifle in question'.
According to Robinson's defence, therefore, the examiner had ruled an insufficient quality and quantity of individual characteristics to link the fragments to the rifle with a strong degree of certainty.
One element of the filing had been withheld from public view at the time, however, which was unsealed by Judge Tony Graf Jr this week.
The collection of documents provided further details surrounding the forensic investigation, as well as recovered evidence from the scene.
The newly-opened report alleges that one of the bullet jacket fragments recovered from Kirk's autopsy had matched a .30 calibre class bullet.
The filing records the ATF lab describing the item as a '.30 calibre class deformed/damaged bullet jacket fragment', and cites evidence that came from the FBI lab's analysis of the bullet jacket fragment.
This matches the calibre of the Mauser 98 30-06 rifle that was recovered close to the scene, which prosecutors believe was used to kill Kirk.
According to the report, the gun, which records show had been given to Robinson by his grandfather as a gift, was tested and deemed to be operable.
It also records the cartridge that was recovered, being embellished with a 'Remington headstamp', which designates its proper calibre for the weapon. Its case was identified by the ATF as having been fired in the 'Exhibit 1 rifle'.
The remaining bullet jacket fragment could not be 'conclusively linked or excluded' as having been fired by the suspect's specific gun, however.
The new report refutes the defence's prior assertion that the bullet fragments couldn't be directly linked to the bullet, pointing out that it doesn't exclude the possibility of a connection.
These details have, therefore, been interpreted as a major blow to Robinson's case.
His lawyers had previously called for a stop to further testing on the bullet jacket fragment, citing the fact that the bullet recovered from Kirk's autopsy had shattered upon impact.
Now, however, it'll be trickier for Robinson's team to argue that he hadn't fired the bullet that killed the conservative debater, who'd been 31 at his time of death.
Kirk was at Utah Valley University (UVU) for a scheduled event when, at 12:23pm, he was shot in the neck by a single bullet. Footage at the event shows the podcaster slumped over before being carried in a car as the crowd erupts into panic.
According to footage released by authorities, the suspected shooter is seen jumping from the roof and fleeing. A Utah Department of Public Safety spokesperson later said that the person, who was reported to be wearing black tactical gear and a helmet, had fled into a nearby neighbourhood after leaving the building.
President Donald Trump later confirmed Kirk’s passing on Truth Social, writing: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”
At a press conference, authorities said they had discovered a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel, as well as some bullet casings with phrases like ‘Hey fascist, catch!’ and ‘notices, bulges, OWO, what's this?’
While appearing on Fox and Friends, Trump said a suspect was in custody: “Essentially, someone that was very close to him turned him in.”
Later on, authorities announced Robinson’s arrest, who, according to investigators, had confessed to his father, leading to him calling a family friend, who then called the US Marshals, who detained the 22-year-old.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, gave her first statement after her husband’s passing, saying that his movement ‘is not going anywhere’.
She added: “You have no idea the fire you've ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
Prosecutors revealed the charges against Robinson included aggravated murder, commission of a violent offence in the presence of a child, two counts of witness tampering, two counts of obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said prosecutors would seek the death penalty if he is convicted, adding: “I do not take this decision lightly.”
At Kirk’s memorial service on 21 September, the 37-year-old took to the stage to pay tribute to her husband and revealed why she’d ‘forgiven’ his killer.
“My husband, he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life. That young man, that young man,” she said.
“On the cross, our saviour said: ‘Father, forgive them for they not know what they do.’
“That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and it is what Charlie would do.
“The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love, love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
According to the BBC, Robinson arrived in court for a hearing wearing a shirt and tie with restraints on his wrists and ankles. In October, it had previously been ruled that he was permitted to wear civilian clothes.
The hearing was primarily focused on how much of the case should be public, with several news organisations pushing for transparency, including the release of a transcript and recording from October.
Erika had previously argued for transparency in the case, telling Fox News: “We deserve to have cameras in there.”
While the judge delayed ruling on the matter to ‘do it right’, he did decide to prohibit attorneys on both sides from making extrajudicial statements.