The Charlie Kirk fatal shooting investigation has unveiled the alleged gunman’s ties to the internet and gaming culture amid a national uptick in political violence.
The suspected shooter, Tyler Robinson, is currently being held in a Utah jail as the person responsible for Kirk’s death. Police said Robinson, 22, confessed to killing Kirk in private conversations with his family after becoming increasingly political in recent months.
The unaffiliated voter has sparked national outrage among conservatives for the alleged killing of the Turning Point USA founder.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) revealed Friday that bullet casings uncovered as part of the investigation into Kirk’s assassination had several messages inscribed on them.
One read “Notices bulges OwO what’s this?” Other unfired cartridges allegedly read, “Hey fascist! Catch!,” with the depiction of five arrow symbols: one up, one right, and three down. Two others read “Oh Bella ciao Bella ciao Bella ciao ciao ciao” and “If you read this, you are gay lmao.”
These engravings appear to reference slang used in video games and internet forum culture, particularly among younger people.
The “OwO” casing appears to be part of an internet meme that makes fun of furry culture, in which participants create alter egos based on anthropomorphic animal characters. The “OwO” is an emoticon commonly used by the furry community to portray a cutesy surprised face.
The arrows are likely a reference to the combination of buttons players use to call in a bomb strike in the popular video game Helldivers 2. The game has been interpreted as a satire of fascism.
The phrase “bella ciao,” is likely a reference to a popular Italian folk song popularized as an antifascist anthem in Italy after World War II. Recently, the song has been featured in the Netflix series “Money Heist” and in video games, including the first-person shooter game Far Cry 6, according to The New York Times.
The last casing appears to be a joke meant to antagonize or troll whoever reads it. “LMAO” is a well-known abbreviation for laughing my a– off.
Prior to the shooting, Robinson shared Discord messages with officials, stating he needed to get a rifle from a drop point, and discussed leaving the weapon in a bush and watching the area where it was left wrapped in a towel, according to his roommate.
Discord officials are now working with police to reveal what they know about Robinson’s online presence.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and extend our condolences to the Kirk family and everyone affected,” a Discord spokesperson said in a statement.
“In the course of our investigation, we identified a Discord account associated with the suspect, but have found no evidence that the suspect planned this incident or promoted violence on Discord,” they continued.
The company also said it removed his account for violating its off-platform behavior policy, which sets rules about violence that occurs on other online platforms or in the real world.
“We strongly condemn violence of any kind, including political violence, and we will continue to coordinate closely with law enforcement,” the spokesperson told The Hill.
While law enforcement is still working to discover Robinson’s motives, many have blamed Democrats and Republicans for an increased political divide nationwide.
