Authorities rebut claim that alleged Charlie Kirk shooter referenced trans “ideology”

Bullets belonging to the alleged killer of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk had messages written on them referencing fascism and internet meme culture, according to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

Previously, a report by the Wall Street Journal claimed that bullets found with a rifle believed to belong to the suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, 22, had messages that supported so-called “transgender ideology” written on them, drawing intense anger from conservatives. That account was quickly disputed, however, including by a law enforcement source who spoke to The New York Times.

At a Friday morning press conference, Gov. Cox said the messages found on the casings included the word “fascist,” but referenced nothing having to do with the trans community.

One bullet casing had “Hey fascist! Catch!” inscribed on it, which the governor said “speaks for itself.” But the video game website Polygon noted that the phrase is linked to a popular game, “Helldivers 2,” which is a satirical take on fascism.

Cox said that another casing had “Bella ciao” written on it, an apparent reference to a WWII-era Italian anti-fascist song that is also popular with gamers. Another casing had the message, “If you read this, you are gay LMAO,” Cox said.    

Additionally, unfired bullets had phrases from video games and internet memes written on them. One read “Up arrow, right arrow, and three down arrow symbols,” a possible reference to commands entered on a controller that call in a bomb in the “Helldivers” video game. A separate casing read, “Notices bulges OWO what’s this?”

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Cox called the killing of Kirk a “political assassination,” saying it is “much bigger” than an attack on a single person.

“It is an attack on all of us,” Cox said. “It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals.”

Robinson surrendered late Thursday night after his father reported him to authorities at the urging of family members. When asked by reporters about a motive for the shooting, Cox said he “can’t answer that right now.”