• Snopes
  • Posts
  • Kirk bullet casings, half-staff flags & McDonald's buffet rumor

Kirk bullet casings, half-staff flags & McDonald's buffet rumor

Plus: Did Yellowstone camera capture image of mountain lion raising wolf cubs?

Author

Megan Loe
September 13, 2025

SATURDAY EDITION

Snopes Debunker

A person can be seen wiping tears away from an area outside draped with red, white and blue flags.

Inscriptions found on bullet casings in Charlie Kirk shooting: What we know

After the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, rumors spread online claiming investigators discovered bullet casings were engraved with “transgender and anti-fascist ideology.” Some posts alleged that the spent casing from the bullet that killed Kirk bore one such inscription.

In response, others claimed investigators had actually misinterpreted “TRN,” an engraving used by a Turkish ammunition producer, as “transgender ideology.”

So what’s true? And what did investigators actually find at the scene? Snopes reporter Laerke Christensen has the full breakdown.

A white man smiles while looking to the right. He is sitting down and wearing a gray suit.

Charlie Kirk once said prominent Black women didn't have 'brain processing power' to be taken seriously

He was specifically talking about Michelle Obama, Joy Reid, Sheila Jackson Lee and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

A yellow and white graphic says that you should subscribe to our membership.

Support Snopes With Our Monthly Membership

At Snopes, we work tirelessly to fact-check the rumors and misinformation that flood your social media feeds — from political claims to satirical tales. Thanks to the support of our members, we don’t rely on any individual donor or foundation to keep doing this far-ranging work. Growing our membership allows us to continue digging for the truth on the stories that matter most to you. We appreciate any support you can give.

A white woman and man are pictured next to each other. A red, white and blue flag can be seen as the background of the image.

Trump ordered flags flown at half-staff for Charlie Kirk, but not for Melissa Hortman?

Hortman, a Democrat who had served as speaker of the Minnesota House, was assassinated in June.

Two white men are heavily prominent in an image. As the background, a group of young girls can faintly be seen.

Fake video shows Trump and Epstein with young girls at party

The video appears to have been generated using AI, though it's based on a real photo taken in 1997.

People are seen seated and grabbing food from a buffet inside a restauraunt. A banner above says "McDonald's Buffet ALL YOU CAN EAT 12.99."

McDonald's opened 'first-ever buffet' in Missouri?

According to social media posts, diners could pay $12.99 for “unlimited Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, Chicken McNuggets, fries, and hot apple pies” at the Branson buffet.

Staff Pick

A mountain lion appears to be followed by two wolves. In an insert, the mountain lion is watching two wolf cubs.

Did Yellowstone camera capture image of mountain lion raising wolf cubs?

Social media went wild over an image claiming to show a mountain lion raising two wolf cubs.

“Rangers first noticed the unlikely family traveling together at night, the cubs trotting at the lion’s side as if they had always belonged there. Over the weeks, the cameras showed more: the lion pausing to let the cubs rest, sharing kills, and even circling protectively when other predators approached,” one post sharing the rumor read.

Snopes reporter Rae Deng sniffed out the truth.