Engraved bullets signal ideological motives in string of politically charged shootings
Investigators say ammunition markings linking violence to politics appear in cases from a Dallas ICE facility attack to incidents in Utah and New York, prompting renewed questions about political violence
A gunman who opened fire at a Dallas immigration facility on Sept. 24, 2025, killed one detainee and wounded two others before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The attacker, identified as Joshua Jahn, 29, was found with bullet casings at the scene, including at least one engraved with the words anti-ICE, according to the Department of Homeland Security. FBI Director Kash Patel said investigators recovered the rounds and that the engraved casing “shows an ideological motive” behind the attack.
The Dallas incident is part of a broader pattern in which suspects signal motives through markings on ammunition. In Utah, a man accused of assassinating Christian conservative activist Kirk at a college event left behind shell casings with phrases tied to gaming culture, including a mention of fascism and a reference to an antifascist Italian folk song. Prosecutors described the evidence as part of a political dimension to the crime. Four bullet casings recovered with the suspect’s firearm contained phrases popular in gaming culture, including a direct mention of fascism and a possible reference to an antifascist Italian folk song. The case has drawn national attention to how criminals may embed messages in the ammunition they use.
In the Utah case, Tyler Robinson, 22, is charged with murder for killing a Christian conservative activist, Kirk, during a speaking event at a college. Officials say four shell casings recovered from the scene contained phrases associated with gaming culture, including a direct reference to fascism and a possible nod to an antifascist Italian folk song. Local and federal authorities have said Robinson’s politics grew more polarized in recent years and that his hatred for Kirk appeared to be a driving factor in the crime.
In New York City, Luigi Mangione, 27, is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a sidewalk outside a hotel. Prosecutors say bullets recovered at the scene bore three words popular with critics who say health insurers mishandle claims: Deny, Depose, and Delay. Two of these words were recovered as shell casings and one as a live round, according to court filings. The case has been cited as part of a broader pattern of attackers using written messages to signal their motives.
The pattern of young suspects marking their crimes with ideological messages on spent and unspent munitions comes as politically charged violence has taken a central place in the national conversation. A Quinnipiac University poll released this year showed a large share of voters describing the nation as being in a political crisis and labeling political violence as a very serious issue. An Atlantic analysis of hundreds of terrorism incidents over three decades found fluctuations in left-wing and right-wing attacks, with a noted rise in left-wing terrorism beginning after the 2016 election.
In a separate case, Robin Westman, 23, opened fire through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis during Mass last month, killing two children and injuring more than a dozen others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police have said videos Westman posted in Cyrillic alphabets and on firearms and magazines referenced past mass shooters, including phrases such as “Kill Donald Trump” and “Where is your God?” Westman’s case has fed concerns about how online content and messaging intersect with real-world violence.
Officials caution that linking a single factor, such as engraved ammunition, to broader political violence requires careful, case-by-case inquiry. Federal and local investigators say such markings can reflect personal grievance as well as broader ideological motives, and they stress the need for comprehensive analysis before drawing broad conclusions about a trend.
Experts say the engravings and writings on ammunition are not a new phenomenon, but the recent concentration of high-profile cases has drawn renewed attention to how attackers communicate motive. Analysts note that messaging through weapons has appeared in manifestos and social-media posts for decades, yet the explicit practice of inscribing or marking rounds appears to be growing in visibility in the current era of highly polarized political rhetoric.
The topic remains politically sensitive as lawmakers, law-enforcement officials, and researchers seek to understand whether these markings signal a rising threat or reflect a broader pattern of signaling within a small subset of violent crimes. Public discussions about political violence are likely to persist as authorities continue to investigate each case and as polling suggests a public divided on the roots and remedies of such violence.
As investigations continue, officials urge restraint in drawing conclusions about causes or trends. The diverse set of cases—spanning a Dallas ICE facility attack, a college campus killing in Utah, a New York City corporate homicide, and a Minneapolis church shooting—illustrates that while engravings and inscriptions offer clues, they are only one piece of a complex puzzle about political violence in the United States.
The investigation into these incidents continues as authorities assess whether the engravings and inscriptions represent a broader, coordinated pattern or a series of individual acts driven by personal grievances and isolated ideologies. In the meantime, national discussions about political violence, free speech, and the role of online rhetoric in motivating real-world harm are likely to intensify as more details emerge from ongoing prosecutions and court proceedings.