The firearm recovered in the assassination of Charlie Kirk was a bolt-action rifle — a standard hunting weapon known for its reliability but limited to one shot before requiring manual reloading.
Unlike a semiautomatic, the shooter must work the bolt by hand: lifting and pulling it back ejects the spent cartridge, while pushing it forward chambers a new round. Locking the bolt readies the rifle to fire again — a straightforward, durable design long favored by hunters and target shooters.
“This process limits the rate of fire, you can only take one shot at a time,” explained retired Marine Lt. Col. Hal Kempfer to Fox News.
Mug shots of Tyler Robinson, the suspect in Charlie Kirk's assassination, have been released. pic.twitter.com/sInDYFSHG2
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Kempfer explained that with a bolt-action rifle, the spent cartridge typically remains in the chamber rather than being ejected, leaving no shell casings — or “brass” — at the scene for investigators to examine. “That’s just one of those things where you, if you’ve thought it through, you know that you can’t leave any forensic evidence for investigators to work with,” he said.
Authorities said Thursday they recovered the rifle believed to have been used in Kirk’s assassination in a wooded area near the scene, where investigators believe the gunman ditched it while fleeing.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox revealed further details about Robinson during a press briefing in the state Friday morning. They said that a family member, purportedly his father, played some role in turning him in to authorities. They also said that Robinson was communicating with someone over the Discord platform regarding details about his attire and where the rifle would be stashed.
