The alleged killer of rightwing activist Charlie Kirk, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, reportedly texted his roommate about engraving memes on bullets before the shooting. According to prosecutors, Robinson wrote: 'The fuckin messages are mostly a big meme.' The incident has sparked debate over the role of internet culture in political violence.
Robinson, described by friends as 'terminally online', was active on Discord and had dressed as internet memes for Halloween. The bullet casings from the alleged murder weapon bore niche references, including a furry meme, a video game command from Helldivers 2, and lyrics from the antifascist song Bella Ciao. He texted: 'If I see "uwu notices bulge" on fox new [sic] I might have a stroke.'
Experts note a trend of attackers leaving ironic messages aimed at online communities, distinguishing themselves from 'normies'. The Christchurch mosque shooter's manifesto contained 'shitpost' references, while the El Paso shooter's posts on 8chan prompted memes about 'high scores'. Similar patterns appeared in the Buffalo and Poway attacks.
Robinson's engravings echo those of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooter and Luigi Mangione, the alleged United Healthcare CEO shooter, whose bullet messages became memes on clothing. Prosecutors say Robinson told his roommate he shot Kirk for spreading hatred, and his mother noted he had become more left-leaning over the past year.
