The suspect in last week's killing of noted conservative activist Charlie Kirk left a message making clear his intent, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Patel said the suspect wrote that he had the "opportunity to take out" Kirk and added, "I’m going to take it." Speaking to Fox News, Patel explained that the message was composed before the shooting on Wednesday.
The FBI Director described it at different points as a "note" and a "text message exchange." The message was said to have been "destroyed" but later recovered by investigators.
Patel did not disclose the full content of what was written.
The FBI director's decision to reveal such details in a live interview was notable.
According to CNN, officials at FBI and the Justice Department generally avoid making investigative evidence public ahead of a prosecution.
He also said forensic evidence tied the suspect to the crime. DNA was recovered from both a screwdriver and a towel found alongside the weapon used in Kirk’s killing. Patel said those samples matched the suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
Left-wing ideology?
According to Patel, Robinson’s family told investigators that he had "subscribed to left-wing ideology." He did not elaborate on what that entailed.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance guest-hosted the "Charlie Kirk Show" podcast on Monday.
"Please join me as I pay tribute to my friend," he wrote on X.
Kirk's widow, Erika, expressed her gratitude to the vice president and second lady. On Friday, she called Vance a “dear friend” of her husband and thanked him and Usha Vance “for their love and support.”
The couple accompanied her and Kirk's casket on a flight to Phoenix aboard Air Force Two.
Robinson is scheduled to appear in state court on Tuesday. He is being held without bail at the Utah County Jail on charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office told reporters that Robinson is being kept in a special housing unit and will remain under special watch while undergoing a mental health evaluation, a process expected to take several days.
