A DNA sample found on a towel that was wrapped around a rifle near the location where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed matches the genetic profile of the 22-year-old suspect in the case, according to FBI Director Kash Patel's statement on Monday.
Authorities have also utilized DNA evidence to connect the suspect, Tyler Robinson, to a screwdriver found on the rooftop where the fatal shot was fired on 10 September, Patel mentioned to Fox News Channel on Monday.
Authorities in Utah are set to announce capital murder charges against Robinson as early as Tuesday for the killing of Kirk, a key player in conservative politics who aligned with President Donald Trump after establishing "Turning Point USA," a major political group based in Arizona.
Kirk, who attracted young, conservative evangelical Christians to the political arena, was shot on Wednesday while addressing an audience at Utah Valley University during one of his numerous campus visits.
The incident sparked concerns regarding the rise of political violence in a nation that is highly divided.
Authorities have stated that Robinson harbored a strong dislike for Kirk and had become a proponent of "leftist ideology" that had gained traction in recent times.
Robinson's family and acquaintances mentioned that he dedicated significant time to browsing the "hidden parts of the web," Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated on Sunday.
Patel informed Fox News that Robinson had noted in a message prior to the shooting that he had a chance to eliminate Kirk and intended to do so.
Law enforcement officials managed to retrieve the message's content following its destruction, according to the FBI chief, who quoted from the note without providing further information.
Authorities said Robinson has not been working with the authorities. It is claimed that he might have been "radicalized" through the internet, and the ammunition discovered in the gun used to kill Kirk featured engravings with anti-fascist and meme-related language.
Court documents indicate that a bullet casing contained the message, "Hey, fascist! Catch!"
Robinson was taken into custody late on Thursday close to his childhood home in St. George, located in the southern part of Utah, situated between Las Vegas and Bryce Canyon as well as Zion National Park.
It remains uncertain at this point if he is represented by a lawyer who can communicate on his behalf.
Messages of remembrance for Kirk keep coming in throughout the United States. A queue of people joined a memorial at the Kennedy Centre in Washington on Sunday, and several professional sports events observed periods of silence.
Vice President JD Vance, who considered Kirk a close friend, mentioned he intended to act as a guest host for Kirk's radio program on the Rumble streaming service.
"Kindly join me as I honor my friend," Vance wrote in a social media update.