It has emerged that the bullet casing left behind from the fatal shooting of right-wing political campaigner Charlie Kirk features references to gaming, internet memes, and fascism.

For those not embedded in internet culture, phrases such as “OwO” and “Bella Ciao” might mean very little, but to some gamers and people termed “chronically online”, the meaning appears to be instantly clear.

It comes after Kirk was shot dead while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, which was the first stop of his “American Comeback Tour”, with planned appearances across the US.

Kirk was known for his hard-right views. He was opposed to gay marriage, abortion and diversity programmes; spread misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines, voting fraud and climate change; made statements that many co

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