WHAT HAPPENED: Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, charged with the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk, have requested a delay in the preliminary hearing, citing what they claim is inconclusive bullet analysis results from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are disputing evidence in the case.

WHEN & WHERE: The assassination occurred in September 2025 at Utah Valley University. Robinson is due back in court on April 17 for a hearing on a defense motion.

IMPACT: Despite the defense claims about the bullet fragments, prosecutors note that Robinson’s DNA has been found on the rifle’s trigger, on the spent cartridge casing, and on two unspent casings found at the scene.

Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, 22, the man charged with the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder and conservative organizer Charlie Kirk, are now requesting a delay in the May preliminary hearing. They cite what they call an inconclusive report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regarding the bullet recovered during Kirk’s autopsy and a rifle found near the scene.

Importantly, the ATF report—which has yet to be released to the public—appears to be inconclusive because the bullet itself shattered after striking Kirk in the neck and subsequently hitting materials behind the TPUSA founder. Currently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is analyzing the lead composition of the bullet fragments, which will provide further clarity on the bullet’s origins.

Notably, prosecutors have already submitted evidence that shows DNA found on the trigger of the rifle used to assassinate Kirk matches Tyler Robinson, along with the DNA found on the spent cartridge casing, and two unfired cartridges. Still, the defense attorneys from Robinson—possibly hoping to confuse potential jurors ahead of jury selection—claim that the forensic analysis shows multiple sets of DNA on the rifle. This would be expected of a weapon that was used or handled by several individuals over time. However, the defense has not explained Robinson’s DNA being found on the spent and unspent cartridges.

The defense team for Robinson has been accused of employing a number of delay tactics to drag out the trial, while fomenting conspiracy theories. Despite their demands for further DNA and forensic analysis, much of the evidence points to Robinson—including text messages from Robinson to his transgender lover, Lance Twiggs, in which he admits to the killing and states he’d “had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred.”

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