Authorities have identified the gun used in the assassination of Charlie Kirk as a Mauser Model 98 .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle, a type that may be difficult to trace. Prosecutors and officials suggest the weapon, which could date back decades, might have predated U.S. laws requiring firearms to carry serial numbers or other identifying marks, enacted in 1968 following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The rifle belonged to the grandfather of Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old Utah man accused of the murder, and police allege that Robinson may have deliberately chosen it for its untraceable nature.
Robinson reportedly expressed his concerns about the rifle’s traceability in a message to his roommate shortly after the shooting. He wrote, according to the New York Post, “I’m worried what my old man would do if I don’t bring back grandpa’s rifle. IDK if it has a serial number but it wouldn’t trace to me. I’m worried about prints, I had to leave it in a bush where I changed outfits, didn’t have the ability or time to take it with.” Court documents indicate that the Utah State Bureau of Investigation found DNA on the murder weapon that officials say is consistent with Robinson.
Authorities have also noted the potential for vintage firearms to complicate future investigations. With millions of such weapons believed to be in American homes, the ease of access to untraceable weaponry could pose a risk. While the ATF reports that such rifles are exceedingly rare in crimes, most gun violence in America is carried out with pistols, and semiautomatic AR-15-style rifles have been used in some of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings. ATF and the FBI Salt Lake City did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The case has sparked discussions about the broader implications of untraceable firearms in the U.S.