>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
Within the appendix of the ATF report, investigators clarified the meaning behind their language, stating that “inconclusive” findings reflect “an examiner’s opinion that there is an insufficient quality and/or quantity of individual characteristics to identify or exclude.”
Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation previously told Fox News that the bullet fragment could not be matched to the rifle because it struck bone during the shooting and fragmented on impact. That kind of damage, according to forensic experts, is not unusual in violent gun crimes and can complicate traditional ballistic comparison methods.
“It is not a win for the defense,” retired FBI supervisory agent Jason Pack said. “It is simply a gap the prosecution is now working to address by bringing in the FBI with more advanced technology.”
Pack emphasized that ballistic evidence rarely stands alone in homicide investigations and stressed that the inconclusive finding applied only to a single fragment, not to other physical evidence recovered in the case.
“The defense here is doing exactly what good defense lawyers are supposed to do, protecting their client’s ability to challenge evidence before it gets further altered,” Pack told Fox News Digital. “That is not a sign the prosecution’s case is weak.”
Investigators also reported that a .30-06 cartridge casing recovered at the scene was “identified as having been fired in the Exhibit 1 rifle.” Prosecutors have identified that firearm as a Mauser rifle belonging to Robinson’s grandfather, adding another layer of context to the weapon’s origin and chain of custody.
Pack cautioned against reading too much into the early-stage forensic debate, noting, “We are a long way from trial, and the public should pump the brakes before drawing big conclusions from a single pre-trial motion about a single bullet fragment.”
According to prosecutors, Robinson is accused of carrying out the September 2025 attack during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. They allege he positioned himself on a rooftop overlooking a courtyard where Kirk was speaking and fired a single shot into a crowd of roughly 3,000 attendees. Kirk was struck in the neck and later died from his injuries.
Beyond ballistics, prosecutors say additional forensic evidence ties Robinson to the scene. DNA consistent with his profile was allegedly found on the firearm, a towel recovered nearby, and on multiple rounds inside the weapon. Investigators also described markings on the rooftop gravel consistent with a prone shooting position, suggesting impressions left by elbows, knees, and feet.
Authorities further stated that the rifle used in the shooting was later discovered wrapped in a blanket in a wooded area near campus. In addition, prosecutors allege that text messages between Robinson and his romantic partner, Lance Twiggs, reference efforts to recover the weapon after the attack.
“Stuck in Orem for a little while longer yet,” Robinson allegedly wrote in the hours after the murder. “Shouldn’t be long until I can come home, but I gotta grab my rifle still.”
Twiggs, who is reportedly cooperating with investigators, has not been charged in the case.
Robinson is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a hearing related to his request to bar cameras from future proceedings. If convicted of aggravated murder, he could face the death penalty, underscoring the severity of the charges as the case moves toward trial.
