Casings Found in Charlie Kirk Murder Carry MEMEs Reference and 'Bella Ciao', the Resistance Anthem From 'Money Heist'

Investigators in Utah uncovered unusual inscriptions on bullet casings at the scene of the Charlie Kirk murder. Alongside internet slang and mocking phrases used in popular MEMES, one inscription read "Bella Ciao," a phrase tied to one of the most famous protest songs in European history and a tune that gained new life through Netflix's global hit La Casa de Papel (Money Heist).

During a press conference in which the suspect in the killing was identified as Tyler Robinson, Utah Governor Spencer Cox described the inscriptions on the casings.

Besides the references to "Bella Ciao," the other casings recovered next to the rifle allegedly used to commit the crime bore phrases like "notices bulge OWO what's this?," "If you read this, you are gay lmao," and "Hey Fascist! Catch!" The blend of meme-driven text with a reference to a World War II resistance anthem adds an unexpected cultural dimension to the case.

"Bella Ciao" in the European Resistance

"Bella Ciao", which in English means 'Good Bye Beautiful', has its roots in northern Italy in the late 19th century, where women working in rice fields, known as mondine, sang it as a protest against grueling conditions. During World War II, it was adopted by Italian partisans who fought against Nazi forces and Mussolini's Fascist regime.

The song's lyrics tell of a fighter saying farewell before leaving to join the resistance. With lines about sacrifice and remembrance, it became a unifying anthem for those battling for freedom. From Italy, "Bella Ciao" spread across Europe, sung in France, Yugoslavia, and beyond, embedding itself in the continent's memory as a hymn of defiance against fascism.

Over the decades, it has been performed in dozens of languages and used in protests from the anti-Franco movements in Spain to modern demonstrations in Greece, Turkey, and Latin America.

Money Heist and a Global Revival

The song found a new audience when it was prominently featured in La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), Netflix's Spanish series that became an international phenomenon.

In the show, the Professor and his brother Berlin sing Bella Ciao in an emotional scene that underscores their shared bond and the rebellion at the heart of their plan.

Later, the entire group uses it as a unifying cry, connecting their heist to broader ideas of resistance.

This cinematic revival pushed Bella Ciao back into global charts, with remixes hitting millions of streams, and introduced the anthem to a generation that associated it with rebellion against authority.

What Is the "Notices Bulge OwO" Meme?

According to Know Your Meme, the earliest reported use for this meme dates back to January 6, 2013, when a DeviantArt user posted a fanfiction cover captioned "OwO what is this I'm working on? A fanfic cover! :D." But the phrase didn't take off until 2015, when an Imgur meme depicted two furries roleplaying. One wrote: "nuzzles u back and pounces on u and notices your buldge 'OwO what's this...?'" Here, "bulge" refers to noticing the outline of a man's crotch.

The meme quickly spread as a way of mocking furry roleplaying and its stereotypical cutesy language. "OwO" is an emoticon used to represent a wide-eyed, surprised face. While originally a jab at furry communities, the meme has since been reclaimed by some furries and embraced across platforms like Tumblr, Reddit, and X. Today, it's often used ironically and is considered one of the most notoriously "cringe" online phrases.