A Utah judge has unsealed a federal ballistics report in the case against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, revealing that ATF examiners could not conclusively match a deformed bullet fragment to Robinson’s Mauser rifle but confirmed the spent casing was fired from it.
Judge Tony Graf released the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives report Thursday after ruling there was no basis to keep it classified. The document had been attached as an exhibit to a defense motion filed under seal in January.
The ATF examined a “deformed/damaged” piece of bullet jacket along with four lead fragments recovered from the scene.”
Two law enforcement sources told Fox News the reason for the inconclusive finding is straightforward: the bullet struck bone upon impact and shattered, a result experts say is not uncommon with hunting rounds.
“It is not a win for the defense,” said retired FBI supervisory agent Jason Pack. “It is simply a gap the prosecution is now working to address by bringing in the FBI with more advanced technology.”
Pack said ballistics are rarely the only evidence in a homicide 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. That is not a sign the prosecution’s case is weak.”
Prosecutors say the government’s case extends well beyond the fragment. Separate testing found DNA consistent with Robinson’s on the gun, on a towel, and on three of the four rounds loaded inside the rifle. Fingerprints and a palm print were also found near the rooftop from which prosecutors allege Robinson fired. The rifle itself, wrapped in a blanket, was recovered in a patch of woods near Utah Valley University’s campus.
The ATF did confirm the spent .30-06 cartridge case recovered at the scene “was identified as having been fired in the Exhibit 1 rifle”, Robinson’s Mauser.
