As investigators looked into the fatal death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, they recovered several unfired bullet casings, with one of them engraved “O bella ciao, bella ciao” from Tyler Robinson’s rifle
The phrase has its origins in Italian and carries deep political and historical meaning.
What is the meaning of the messages found on shooter Tyler Robinson’s bullet casings and did he leave a manifesto
🚨 ANTIFA: Tyler Robinson's fire casings had Antifa phrases written on them.
"Hey fascist, catch"
"Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao" – these lyrics are to an old Italian protest song now used by Antifa as a theme song.
Via @MrAndyNgo pic.twitter.com/sR4yCifbEn
— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) September 12, 2025
Bullet casings found in Tyler Robinson’s weapon used to kill Charlie Kirk had various messages inscribed:
• “notices, bulges, OWO, what's this?"
• “Hey fascists! Catch!”
• “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao."
• “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.” pic.twitter.com/s7wU2PlV2I— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 12, 2025
The discovery has fueled all kinds of speculation about the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, his true motives, and possible ideological leanings.
‘Bella ciao’ meaning
“Bella Ciao” is an Italian anti-fascist song that initially rose to prominence right after World War II. Many of the left-wing partisans back then started adopting it as a symbol of resistance against Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime. While the literal meaning of the phrase is ‘Goodbye, beautiful,’ it has now become a globally popular phrase symbolizing rebellion. At present, Italians sing the song during Liberation Day celebrations on April 25, and as a way of commemorating the fall of Mussolini’s rule. Although many historians note that it likely wasn’t widely sung during the war itself, the song has since become an anthem of protest for leftist movements worldwide.
Tyler Robinson engraved several messages on bullet casings
As investigations over Charlie Kirk’s recent death are under full swing, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed that Tyler engraved several messages on three bullet casings of his rifle used to shoot Charlie Kirk dead in Utah. One of the three unfired casings recovered from the scene carried the words “O bella ciao, bella ciao.” Meanwhile, another casing featured the taunt “Hey fascist! Catch!” alongside a set of arrows “↑ → ↓ ↓ ↓”. The third casing featured the words “If you read this, you are gay LMAO [laugh my a** off]” “↑ → ↓ ↓ ↓” refers to a stratagem input from the game Helldivers 2, which players use to summon an Eagle 500kg Bomb.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed writings on bullet casings of Charlie Kirk's killer, Tyler Robinson:
– Notices bulges, OWO what's this?
– Hey Fascist! Catch!
– Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
– If you read this you are gay LMAO#CharlieKirk #TylerRobinson pic.twitter.com/bi3eghpBG4— CapitolModerate (@CapitolModerate) September 12, 2025
On the other hand, the casing that Tyler used to fire the fatal shot reportedly had bizarre internet slang linked to role-playing groups, including: “notices, bulges, OWO what’s this?” The popular slang is associated with furry and roleplay communities to describe awkward or over-the-top online flirting. According to the investigator, Tyler Robinson deliberately engraved the phrases as political and cultural statements. The inscriptions have reportedly raised questions about whether Tyler’s attack was motivated by ideology or personal fixation.
While no manifesto or motive has been revealed, Kirk who has no criminal record is said to have grown more political over the days, but they did not reveal the suspect’s political affiliation despite online speculations claiming he was a Republican and came from a Republican registered family as well.
Reactions from netizens
Social media users have since erupted with all kinds of reactions after officials revealed the engravings. Some users argued that Robinson’s use of “Bella Ciao” pointed to far-left inspiration. One X user stated:
“This isn’t just random — it’s a message.”
Meanwhile, others simply dismissed the connection, suggesting that the shooter might have used the words for shock value, with one TikTok user commenting:
“He probably wanted attention more than he wanted to send a political message.”
Another user added:
“Mixing a partisan anthem with meme slang shows this guy wasn’t serious about anything, just chaos.”
Reason behind the engravings
As of now, investigators have not yet confirmed the exact motive behind the engravings, but experts suggest the phrases may reflect Robinson’s attempt to mix politics, internet culture, and provocation. In particular, the phrase “Bella Ciao” aligns with anti-fascist movements, while the meme-like “OWO what’s this?” points toward online subcultures. For now, the FBI are investigating whether Robinson acted on his own or as part of a broader extremist network.
Tyler Robinson, a biological male who is a Christian by religion is a 22-year-old Utah resident who has emerged as the main suspect in the recent Charlie Kirk shooting. After authorities identified him as the main suspect, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed Robinson’s age and local background. However, he declined to provide any further details on his personal history while the investigation unfolded.
Tyler lives in a six-bedroom home valued at around $600,000 in Washington, Utah.
His mother Amber previously attended the University of Utah and works for Intermountain Support Coordination Services.
His father Matt Robinson is a 27-year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and is a registered Republican voter. Tyler also has two brothers named Austin and Logan. Austin was starting his junior year of high school while Logan was starting his freshman year as per a 2021 Facebook post by their mother Amber.
Tyler attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021 and had also received a $32,000 scholarship from the college. Tyler maintained a 4.0 GPA and achieved near-perfect scores on the ACT.
This is Tyler Robinson, who is being accused of murdering Charlie Kirk, reading a letter he received from Utah State University for a $32,000 scholarship. pic.twitter.com/8PIJMQ7xV4
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) September 12, 2025
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