'New trend' Shooters' messages inscribed on weapons

In the past month, the US has had to reckon with three deadly, high-profile shootings, and in each one, investigators have dealt with a seldom-seen piece of evidence in shooting cases: messages the shooter left on shell casings and firearm magazines.

- Abené Clayton

The suspect in the 27 August shooting at Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis allegedly left several ammunition magazines with messages such as “Suck on this” written in white marker. Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing the rightwing activist Charlie Kirk, allegedly engraved his bullet casings with “Hey fascist! Catch!” and “Bella ciao”. Authorities say the man suspected of opening fire at an US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) facility in Texas this week wrote “Anti-Ice” on his bullet casings.

While investigators have long scoured manifestos, online interactions and comments to establish what led someone to shoot others on campuses, nightclubs and in places of worship, messages on shell casings and firearm magazines are adding to the materials that law enforcement, reporters and researchers pore over.

It was a continuing phenomenon that shooters sought to leave their final messages behind to be regurgitated in the national news and, in some cases, send signals to the digital communities they were embedded in, said Jon Lewis, at the programme for extremism at George Washington University, Washington DC.

“They want people to go on Fox News and say: ‘If you’re reading this you’re gay, they want this to be their moment in the sun,” he said. “Not only is it an ‘I did it’, it’s an ‘I did it for my guys. I’m wearing my team’s jersey so everyone knows.’ Bullet inscriptions, manifestos, the use of wearing a skull mask or other iconography: it’s all performative.”