Reports that the person who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk had left behind bullet casings engraved with phrases espousing “transgender ideology” have been debunked.
The rumor spread quickly after conservative commentator Steven Crowder posted to X on the morning of September 11 — the day after the shooting — claiming he had received an email from a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives officer describing such engravings.
Crowder shared what he said was an email from an ATF officer claiming investigators had recovered the weapon used in Kirk’s killing, with one spent cartridge in the chamber and three rounds still in the magazine. The email further alleged the cartridges were engraved with “transgender and anti-fascist ideology.”
Crowder’s post quickly gained traction, with many Kirk supporters and conservatives insisting the shooter was transgender or motivated by “transgender ideology.” The claim fit neatly into a popular right-wing narrative portraying transgender people as mentally ill and prone to violence.
As CNN has reported, similar claims have fueled proposals from conservative influencers — and even some Justice Department officials — to strip transgender people of their right to purchase or carry firearms.
Hours later, The Wall Street Journal reported on an internal ATF bulletin that repeated the same claims. But after the story ran, Justice Department officials urged caution, warning that the report — already spreading across social media and news outlets — might not accurately reflect what was written on the cartridges.
The Journal later added an editor’s note reflecting Justice Department pushback, softening its headline with the words “Some Sources Urge Caution.” On September 12, after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox discussed the engravings, the paper appended further clarification, noting Cox “gave no indication that the ammunition included any transgender references.”
Other outlets that picked up the story, including Mediaite, also issued corrections. In an editor’s note, Mediaite quoted the Journal’s update and added Cox’s clarification: while one casing referenced a “fascist,” nothing mentioned transgender issues.
Angered by Kirk’s death, some conservative social media users, practically foaming at the mouth for vengeance, seized on Crowder’s post and the Journal story to claim the shooter was transgender. Their posts fueled harassment and death threats against trans people and organizations, along with calls for transgender people to be “rounded up” and “deported.”
The New Republic reported, following Gov. Cox’s press conference, that four cartridges linked to the shooter — identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Washington, Utah — contained engravings.
According to The Verge, the engravings included, “Notices bulge OwO what’s this?” — a meme tied to “furry” online roleplay, according to Know Your Meme.
The other engravings read, “Hey fascist! Catch!” with three downward-slanting arrows, a symbol long used by anti-fascists; “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao,” lyrics from an Italian resistance song under Mussolini; and a taunt: “If you read this you are gay LMAO.”
The Verge noted the arrow sequence may reference a combo in the video game Helldivers 2 used to call in an Eagle 500kg Bomb. The game — inspired by Starship Troopers — centers on battles to control a fascist state. The song “Bella ciao” also appears in a Helldivers 2 mod and in the WWII strategy game Hearts of Iron IV.
“The themes of Helldivers 2 could have an ideological meaning, albeit not necessarily a straightforward one,” wrote The Verge. “But ultimately, the messages on the shooter’s bullet casings can best be described as bizarre and extremely online.”
The New York Times reported that Robinson, registered as an unaffiliated voter, was raised by Republican parents but has never cast a ballot, according to the Washington County clerk.
Family photos posted online show Robinson and his two younger brothers shooting and posing with guns.
Former classmates recalled Robinson as an honor roll student and avid gamer who earned a $32,000 presidential scholarship to Utah State University. He reportedly dropped out after one semester, later enrolling in an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, where he was also living with at least one roommate.
It remains unclear when Robinson’s political views began to shift. At his Sept. 12 press conference, Gov. Cox said investigators spoke with a family member who claimed Robinson had become more political in recent years and expressed animosity toward Kirk specifically.
The Human Rights Campaign said it was monitoring the case but condemned “reckless unconfirmed reports” that falsely tied Robinson to the transgender community.
HRC also launched a petition urging The Wall Street Journal to retract its story and apologize for the “damaging” coverage and fallout.
“Many online who peddled rumors with incomplete and untrue details did not care about the facts,” HRC National Press Secretary Brandon Wolf said in a statement. “They cared about inciting rage. Rage is what makes this country a tinder box. People’s rush to lob hot takes and clickbait is not how we are going to get out of this deeply divided, dangerous era. News outlets and people with platforms have to do better.”
The Family Research Council is blasting Ulta Beauty for selling hair products from nonbinary reality star and hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness, best known for Netflix's Queer Eye, and for posting an Instagram video showing Van Ness in a multi-colored dress and white heels, "jumping and shrieking" with excitement as store employees unveil a display featuring a large poster of him.
The famously anti-LGBTQ group claims Van Ness' behavior mocks women and "what he perceives to be female behavior." It also notes that Ulta previously hosted a now-deleted podcast episode featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which it cites as further evidence the company promotes a caricatured view of femininity.
Gun rights groups are blasting the Trump administration after CNN reported that senior Justice Department officials have been discussing the possibility of restricting transgender U.S. citizens from owning firearms, following the recent mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis. Although officials described the talks as "preliminary," critics warn that even floating such a proposal scapegoats transgender people and threatens their constitutional rights.
The internal talks appeared to draw on a theory promoted by conservative influencers and media outlets: that transgender people are mentally ill, and that transition-related hormones negatively affect mental health, making them more prone to violence.
New York City has opened Ace's Place, its first shelter dedicated specifically to serving transgender and gender-nonconforming people experiencing homelessness. Operated in partnership with the Bronx-based LGBTQ nonprofit Destination Tomorrow, the 150-bed facility in Long Island City, Queens, will provide transitional housing and wraparound support services for residents.
Fully funded by the city for now, Ace's Place will receive $65 million to remain operational through 2030. In addition to housing, the shelter will offer on-site psychiatric care, medical referrals, culinary and GED classes, job training, financial literacy and life skills workshops, counseling, and other comprehensive services. Destination Tomorrow will manage day-to-day operations.
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