Biggest blow yet to Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin Tyler Robinson's defense revealed in bombshell report

By CHARLIE SPIERING, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 20:10, 16 April 2026 | Updated: 20:24, 16 April 2026 A bombshell new court filing in the case against Charlie Kirk's accused killer Tyler Robinson provides new details about the bullet that took the conservative activist's life and the gunman that allegedly fired it. Robinson, 22, is facing capital murder charges and a potential death sentence for Kirk's murder at Utah Valley University on September 10.  The forensic details surrounding the bullet examinations have fueled numerous debates and conspiracies surrounding the case, especially after the defense revealed in a recent court filing 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.'  But an ATF summary of the forensic report, part of documents filed by the defense in January, was unsealed by a judge on Wednesday revealing more details of the forensic investigation and recovered evidence from the scene.  The report reveals that one bullet jacket fragment that was recovered from Kirk's autopsy matched a .30 caliber class bullet. Four other lead bullet fragments were also recovered. 'The ATF lab described the item as a ".30-caliber class deformed/damaged bullet jacket fragment,"' the filing reveals, citing evidence included in the report after the FBI lab conducted analysis of the bullet jacket fragment. That matches the same caliber as the Mauser 98 30-06 rifle recovered near the scene, that prosecutors claim was allegedly used by Robinson to kill Kirk. Robinson received the gun as a gift from his grandfather, authorities said.  The report also reveals that the rifle recovered near the scene was tested and found operable and that the recovered cartridge case bears a 'Remington headstamp' designating its proper caliber for the rifle. Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, reacts during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah. Details of the alleged murder weapon and the bullet that struck activist Charlie Kirk are revealed in the ATF forensic report   The cartridge case, ATF investigators wrote in the report, was identified as having been fired in the 'Exhibit 1 rifle,' the alleged murder weapon.  The remaining bullet jacket fragment, however, could not be 'conclusively linked or excluded' as having been fired by Robinson's specific gun, as the examiner concluded that the shattered bullet was too damaged for conclusive findings.  While the defense focused on the inability to link the bullet fragments directly to the bullet, the report notes that it does not exclude the possibility either.   The new information s a blow to Robinson's defense, which continues their efforts to stop further testing on the bullet jacket fragment after it was revealed that the bullet recovered during Kirk's autopsy had shattered upon impact. Other evidence examined by the ATF includes the 30-06 rifle recovered near the scene, a 30-06 Springfield caliber cartridge case, and three 30-06 Springfield caliber cartridges.  Evidence uncovered by the ATF demonstrates that the bullet matching the caliber of Robinson's rifle, plus a confirmed match with the spent casing, offers a fuller picture of the alleged murder weapon, making it more difficult for the defense to argue that Robinson did not fire the bullet that killed Kirk.  The state wants to conduct further testing of the bullet fragment to produce additional details about the rifle that fired it.  Robinson is now due back in court on April 17, when his defense attorneys and prosecutors will debate the issue of allowing cameras and microphones in the courtroom Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, has called for transparency in the case  Robinson and his attorneys are asking that additional testing be stopped because it could alter the evidence, citing investigators using 'pliers or similar gripping tools' in the jacket of the bullet casing fragment.  The defense filed a motion asking the court to require FBI investigators to allow a defense examiner to be present for further testing of the fragment or videotaping of the examination. That could serve as a stalling tactic by the defense, as prosecutors revealed in the document that the FBI does not allow that.  The defense team is working to push back Robinson's preliminary hearing scheduled for May 17. Robinson is also due back in court April 17 for a hearing on a defense motion to ban cameras from the courtroom. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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