New documents from Charlie Kirk’s assassination were just released, but heavy redactions are raising more questions than they answer

Utah Valley University has released new documents related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, but heavy redactions in the files are leaving many questions unanswered. The documents were obtained through a public records request targeting communications from UVU Police Chief Jeff Long about Kirk’s death.

Any information that could “jeopardize the security of public property, buildings or systems,” or the “life or safety of an individual” was withheld from the release. Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while hosting a question-and-answer session on the UVU campus in Orem, Utah. The attack came shortly after the assassination of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman earlier that year, and the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump the year before.

Days after the shooting, authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who officials say confessed to the crime to his own father. According to Newsweek, Robinson is currently in custody facing charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Multiple witnesses at the event noted the absence of basic security measures, including no checkpoints, no bag checks, and no barcode scans, despite it being a ticketed gathering.

The “inconclusive” ballistics result is being widely misunderstood and misrepresented

The documents cover the days before and after the shooting, offering a timeline of internal university communications. However, the large amount of blacked-out text makes it difficult to get a clear picture of what happened. Robinson’s legal team has also asked to delay a preliminary hearing, saying they need more time to review an “enormous amount of material,” including a recent ballistics report described as “inconclusive.”

An analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) could not definitively determine whether a bullet fragment recovered from Kirk was fired from the rifle that authorities say Robinson used.

This finding has led to widespread claims on social media and in some news reports that the bullet “did not match” the rifle, with figures like former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and commentator Candace Owens suggesting far less is known about the killing than initially reported. Joe Rogan also weighed in on the case, you can read about what Rogan said and the accusations he faced surrounding Kirk’s death.

However, experts say that “inconclusive” does not mean the weapon did not fire the bullet. Christopher Ballard, a spokesperson for the Utah County Attorney’s Office, explained that an inconclusive result simply means there are not enough marks on the fragment to make a definitive conclusion either way. It is not a “no match”, it is a “can’t tell.”

Bernard Zapor, a retired ATF special agent and faculty associate at Arizona State University, explained that ballistics examiners inspect shell casings and projectiles for unique marks left when ammunition contacts a firearm. To compare, examiners fire the same type of ammunition from an identical weapon into a water tank, then compare the microscopic marks.

Stephanie Walcott, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Forensic Science, noted that an “inconclusive” result is “very common,” especially with rifle bullets, which travel at high speed and often cause damage that obscures the markings needed for a definitive match.

According to PBS, Walcott also pointed out that if the bullet had different rifling than the recovered firearm, the result would be classified as an “elimination,” meaning it definitively did not come from that gun. Calling the result a “did not match” is, according to Walcott, “extremely misleading.”

ATF examiners require two points of confirmation and often a second examiner’s agreement to declare a conclusive match, and studies show around 20% of casework results in an inconclusive finding. Meanwhile, the State of Utah’s charging document includes other significant evidence against Robinson.

His DNA was reportedly found on the rifle’s trigger, other parts of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two of three unfired cartridges, and a towel used to wrap the rifle. He also allegedly instructed his roommate to delete text messages related to Kirk’s killing and to avoid speaking with police.

Robinson is scheduled to return to court on April 17, and earlier court appearances drew attention after Robinson’s unusual behavior during his hearing raised eyebrows. He has not yet entered a plea, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.