Tyler Robinson is charged with murdering Charlie Kirk, but his defense just uncovered a ballistic report that makes the entire case questionable

Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of murdering conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder, which carries the possibility of the death penalty. His defense attorneys have now revealed a ballistic report suggesting the bullet that killed Kirk does not match the rifle allegedly linked to Robinson.

Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 while speaking on stage at Utah Valley University in front of a crowd of 3,000 people. He was fatally shot in the neck. President Trump called it a “dark moment for America” and said he was “filled with grief and anger” at the loss of the right-wing activist.

Robinson, an electrical apprentice who was living with his family, was arrested two days after Kirk’s death. According to TMZ, his father reportedly recognized him in suspect photos and urged him to turn himself in. Robinson surrendered at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office around 10:00 PM on September 11.

The ballistic report and the sheer volume of evidence make this a highly complex case for the defense

Robinson’s defense attorneys filed a motion to delay his preliminary hearing by at least six months from its current May 18 date. They revealed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was “unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Mr. Robinson.” The defense plans to present the ATF analyst’s testimony as exculpatory evidence, meaning it could support Robinson’s innocence.

The defense team also stated that “Discovery in this case is incomplete, voluminous, and the processing of it is complex.” They received over 600,000 files from prosecutors in March, including around 61,500 pages of documents, 31 hours of audio recordings, and more than 700 hours of video across over 5,000 clips. They argue it will take at least 60 days just to make an initial review.

The defense is also waiting on DNA reports from both the FBI and the ATF. Several different sets of DNA were found on some items of evidence, and one of their own forensic biologists said she would need a full six months to thoroughly review all the forensic material. The defense has separately sought to block the murder video from being shown in court, a move that has drawn significant public attention.

The legal proceedings are continuing despite the new ballistic findings. The defense’s motion to delay the preliminary hearing does not affect the next court date, scheduled for April 17, which will focus on public and media access to future proceedings. The defense has also filed a separate motion to ban all cameras from the courtroom, arguing that there has already been “harmful and prejudicial media coverage of this case thus far.”

Earlier, during a February 24 hearing, Judge Tony Graf denied a defense motion to remove prosecutors from the case. The defense had argued there was a conflict of interest because a prosecutor’s daughter was present at the Utah Valley University event when Kirk was shot. 

However, Judge Graf was “unpersuaded” by the argument of an “appearance of bias” and allowed prosecutors to remain on the case. Kirk’s death also sparked a broader political debate online, with old posts and political reactions drawing widespread attention.