The Carolina Panthers on Thursday fired a team staffer who made insensitive social media posts following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a move that adds to a growing list of professional consequences for individuals who publicly mocked the conservative activist’s death.
Charlie Rock, a member of the team’s communications department, was dismissed, a source briefed on the Panthers’ decision confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Social media posts linked to Rock appeared to question why people were sad that Kirk had been shot and killed and also featured the track “Protect Ya Neck” by Wu-Tang Clan, a song widely interpreted in this context as an inflammatory and disrespectful gesture.
The Panthers issued a public statement condemning the incident:
“The views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers,” the team said on social media. “We do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual.”
Rock isn’t the only one to lose his job over mocking Kirk’s death.
MSNBC also fired political analyst Matthew Dowd for what the network described as “unacceptable” comments made during its live coverage of the shooting.
“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable,” said MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler in a statement. “We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”
Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot around 12:20 p.m. local time on Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem. He was surrounded by mostly college students as his campus event was beginning.
Authorities have not yet named a suspect, but new information was shared at a Thursday morning news conference.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls and Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said they had obtained “good video footage” of the shooter taken while he was on the UVU campus.
Investigators added that they believe the suspect to be “of college age.”
The investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk remains ongoing, but one thing is already clear: mocking political violence has real-world consequences, and institutions across media and professional sports are responding swiftly.
