A Money Heist shadow falls over Charlie Kirk shooting as bullets reveal chilling inscription

On September 10, 2025, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand and co-founder of Turning Point USA, disrupted Utah Valley University. Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck during an event. The police found the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, 22, after a week-long manhunt that ended with him turning himself in after a conversation with his father.

Things got even odder when police indicated that the bullet shells that they collected from the scene had odd markings, including the lyrics "O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao" from the anti-fascist Italian song made popular by the Netflix series Money Heist. The concurrency of fictional narratives and real-life outcomes has started a lot of dialogues about the possible motivations for Kirk's assassination and the role that the media plays in political violence.

The worldwide implications of Money Heist have been momentous. Its story of rebels challenging a corrupt system has inspired counter-protest movements, with “Bella Ciao” being sung in the streets from Hong Kong to Palestine. Álex Pina, the show creator, has recognized the show’s relationship with the rebellious spirit embodied by the song.

The chilling echo of "Bella Ciao" in Charlie Kirk’s killing

“Bella Ciao” began as a 19th-century protest song sung by rice paddy workers. Later, it was absorbed into the anti-fascist resistance during World War II, as part of a wider response to Mussolini’s fascist regime. The lyrics comprise the last farewell of a partisan to his beloved, symbolising sacrifice and defiance. The song reemerged globally through Money Heist (La Casa de Papel), wherein it serves as the emotional and ideological foundation of the band of robbers mounting a challenge against systemic power. The show became a significant Spanish-language success for Netflix, and “Bella Ciao” has inspired protests in real life, such as those surfaced in places like Chile and Lebanon, most recently even in Iran, where it became a rallying point against oppression.

At Kirk’s murder scene, the inscription of “Bella Ciao” on a bullet casing seemed deliberate. Utah Governor Spencer Cox, in a September 12, 2025, press conference in Orem, Utah, detailed other engravings: one casing bore “Hey fascist! Catch!” with arrow symbols possibly linked to the video game Helldivers 2. This implies a universal sense of anti-fascism, nihilism related to online culture, and a reference to gaming culture. Kirk, who was a polarising figure with outspoken views on abortion, trans rights, and gun control, is allegedly the subject of the inscriptions.

The inclusion of "Bella Ciao" raises speculation about whether Robinson was inspired by Money Heist’s romanticised rebellion or the historical song's roots.

Pop culture’s dangerous ripple effect

Described as having grown more political in recent years, Robinson reportedly harboured disdain for Kirk’s conservative activism. The use of the "Helldivers 2" arrows, a code for a mechanic that's certain to trigger a bomb, reinforces a gaming subculture influence.

Stay tuned for more such updates!