Law enforcement officials report that the bolt-action rifle used by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in Wednesday’s murder of conservative personality Charlie Kirk featured engravings on both spent and unspent casings, containing “memes and inside jokes” from communities on 4Chan, Discord, and Reddit. Some of the engravings included:
1. “Notices bulges. OwO What’s this?” – a phrase popularized by furry and roleplay groups, now widely used as a copypasta in gaming communities.
2. “Hey fascist! Catch! ⬆️➡️⬇️⬇️⬇️” – a reworded meme referencing the video game Helldivers 2.
3. “O Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao Ciao Ciao” – the Italian anti-fascist song from World War II, later remixed in online gaming communities.
4. “If you read this, you are gay lmao” – a trolling phrase reminiscent of old email chains and Facebook memes.