Authorities investigating the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk say the suspect had etched several provocative and politically charged messages on bullet casings, including one that read, “Hey fascist! Catch!”
Kirk, founder of the right-wing student organization Turning Point USA, was killed on stage during a speaking event at Utah Valley University earlier this month. The attack prompted a multi-state manhunt that ended with the arrest of 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson, who now faces charges of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Disturbing Inscriptions on Casings
According to investigators, several unfired and spent bullet casings were recovered at and around the scene. Forensic teams reported that the suspect had engraved them with a mixture of anti-fascist slogans, internet memes, and mocking taunts.
One unused casing bore the words “Hey fascist! Catch!” while another featured the line “O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, ciao ciao,” a lyric from an Italian World War II-era partisan song widely associated with anti-fascist resistance. Another casing read “If you read this you are gay lmao.”
The casing believed to have fired the shot that killed Kirk reportedly carried a bizarre internet meme phrase: “Notices bulges OWO what’s this?”
These details were first reported by People, citing law enforcement records and sources familiar with the investigation.
How Police Tracked Down the Suspect
Robinson was taken into custody about 33 hours after the shooting, according to Business Insider. Investigators said they were tipped off when a family member, disturbed by comments Robinson had made that seemed to reference the attack, confided in a church minister, who in turn notified police.
Authorities also recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon — a scoped Mauser .30-06 bolt-action rifle — hidden in a wooded area near the campus, wrapped in a towel to conceal it.
Motive Still Under Investigation
While officials have not yet established a clear motive, the inscriptions on the bullets and statements attributed to Robinson suggest the attack may have been politically motivated. People reported that Robinson had privately expressed contempt for Kirk’s views in the days before the shooting.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox condemned the killing as an “act of political violence” and said the disturbing inscriptions underscored the “toxic extremism that threatens democratic debate.”
What’s Next
Robinson remains in custody without bail and is expected to make his first court appearance later this month. Prosecutors have said they are considering additional charges related to terrorism or hate-motivated violence, depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
