Bullet casing inscriptions provide clues, but motive still unknownpublished at 15:05 BST
15:05 BST
Mike Wendling
BBC News
We heard from authorities yesterday that they had discovered bullet casings with inscriptions on them, alongside a rifle wrapped in a dark towel.
But these details have not made the suspect’s motivation any clearer.
From the inscriptions and family pictures that have emerged, suspect Tyler Robinson appears to be steeped in online culture.
Several of the messages on the casings refer to memes and games. One unfired bullet casing had the words “Hey fascist! Catch!” and an up, right and three down arrows – quite possibly a reference to a video game, although authorities have not yet released images of the casings.
Another casing had the lyrics of the song “Bella Ciao” inscribed on it. The song honours WWII-era partisans of the Italian resistance who fought Nazi Germany, and many different versions have used by anti-fascist and anti-authoritarian movements in the years since.
But it’s far from clear whether the inscriptions were indications of his politics, red herrings, or something else entirely.
That has not stopped feverish speculation and finger-pointing online. Even before yesterday’s revelations, powerful people in Donald Trump’s orbit were blaming left-wing ideology. But Kirk also had enemies on the extreme right in the form of neo-Nazi “groypers” who consistently tried to disrupt his events. Initial reports that the killer left transgender references now appear to be untrue.
And in recent years the US has been hit by several outbursts of violence that seem disconnected from any clear ideology – with killers leaving behind jumbled texts plucked from the internet and messages of nihilistic rage.
At this stage, we simply don’t know.