Cleveland has placed fire chief Anthony Luke on paid administrative leave after a social media post criticizing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed last week.
In a written statement released Tuesday, Mayor Justin Bibb condemned the post, which he said contained a gun on a pedestal and a caption stating, “Bring out the next sacrifice!!”
The post shared by Luke also contained a quote from Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator assassinated last week.
“This post romanticizes gun violence, a matter far too serious in a city where we mourn too many families every week, too many lives cut short, and too many children denied safe sleep in their beds,” said Mayor Justin Bibb in a statement.
Some online have pushed back on Bibb's characterization. Ideastream confirmed Wednesday the cartoon was by illustrator Benajmin Slyngstad, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump and his MAGA following. The illustration depicted kneeling elephants in suits bowing to an assault rifle on top of a podium with the text described by Bibb, but the creator appeared to condemn gun violence in his caption.
"Charlie Kirk once said, 'I think it's worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the second amendment' and while that is an asinine stance to take, he is not unique in that thinking," Slyngstad wrote. "It might as well be the party line for conservatives."
Bibb said he firmly believes in free speech, “but with rights come responsibilities, especially for those who hold positions of public trust and leadership.
“Chief Luke’s post crossed the line,” Bibb said. “It was insensitive, it was incendiary, and it did not reflect the values of compassion, unity, and safety that I strive to stand for—and that every public safety leader in this city should embody.”
Luke is now on leave pending an investigation. He joined the Cleveland Fire Department in 1994 and was promoted to chief in 2022.
The move follows two other Northeast Ohio officials who have resigned after social media posts following Kirk’s death. In Fairview Park, Council President Michael Kilbane resigned Saturday after posting on the day of Kirk’s death “A lot of good people died today. He wasn’t one of them.”
In a resignation letter posted on the city’s Facebook page, Kilbane wrote “Due to the negative attention a comment that I made on a social media post has brought to the City, I am hereby resigning my position as City Council President, effective immediately. I am sorry to the residents, my neighbors and to my colleagues for everything you’ve had to endure as a result of my comment.”
In Munroe Falls, Council Vice President John Impellizzeri resigned after writing a social media post following Kirk’s death which read, in part, “the world is a better place now that he’s gone.”
Impellizzeri is also under investigation from his employer, University Hospitals, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Munroe Falls Mayor Allen Mavrides wrote a letter to residents saying, “The remarks are the Councilmember's words alone. They are not reflective of the views of the city's administration. We extend our condolences to the Kirk family members and those affected by the horrible events in Utah.”
