NFL team the Carolina Panthers fired a public relations employee, Charlie Rock, over a social media post he made about the killing of conservative Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk.

Why It Matters

Kirk was fatally shot during a question-and-answer session on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday afternoon.

Kirk’s death has prompted strong bipartisan condemnation in Congress, and companies have been swift to take action against anyone perceived to be supporting Kirk’s death or celebrating it.

MSNBC on Wednesday night cut ties with political analyst Matthew Dowd for comments made shortly after Kirk was shot, in which he called Kirk “one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures,” and said that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.”

Rock, a football communications coordinator for the NFL team, was hired as a public relations intern in 2024.

According to The Athletic, he posted on X after Kirk was shot: “Why are yall sad? Your man said it was worth it …”

Rock included a photo of the 31-year-old conservative activist under his message and separately posted a screenshot of the song “Protect Ya Neck” by Wu-Tang Clan on social media.

Social media users brought the matter to the team’s attention by tagging its account on X to the posts.

The Panthers released a statement on Thursday morning, not naming Rock specifically but broadly condemning any comments that would “condone violence of any kind.”

“The views expressed by our employees are their own and do not represent those of the Carolina Panthers. We do not condone violence of any kind. We are taking this matter very seriously and have accordingly addressed it with the individual,” the team wrote on X.

The Charlotte Observer, The Athletic and Fox News reported on Rock’s firing Thursday, citing a source briefed on the situation.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump, in a post to Truth Social: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

Kurt Braddock, Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at American University, told Newsweek: “Although we don’t yet know the shooter or their motivations, it’s impossible to view this attack without considering the political landscape and how polarized it has become. The attack shows us, yet again, that the United States is on a very dangerous path at the moment, where violence has been normalized as a form of political action. Every politician and public figure should be trying to turn down the temperature in this moment, and it’s been heartening to see officials on both sides of the aisle condemn the attack on Kirk.”