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First responders face investigations over social posts about Charlie Kirk鈥檚 killing

Fire and police agencies in Nashville, New Orleans, Toledo and Prince George鈥檚 County launched investigations and placed employees on leave after online comments about Kirk鈥檚 death

First responders and public employees in several cities have become the subject of investigations or have been placed on leave over social media posts reacting to the .

Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 at a Utah Valley University event. Authorities say a single shot was fired from a rooftop before the gunman escaped.

The suspect in Kirk鈥檚 death on Sept. 12.

| READ NEXT: Failing to learn from past social media mistakes dooms firefighters

Nashville Fire Department

In Nashville, Tenn., reported the fire department put an employee on paid administrative leave after a post circulating online appeared to reference Kirk鈥檚 death.

The department said it opened an internal fact-finding review and would not comment further while it鈥檚 underway.

Prince George鈥檚 County Police Department

Prince George鈥檚 County (Md.) Police Department confirmed an internal investigation into an officer鈥檚 social media post that read, 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e spewing hate, hate will eventually rear its head and find you鈥.鈥

reported the department said the post may violate general orders governing employee conduct on social media. There was no immediate indication that the officer鈥檚 duty status had changed.

New Orleans Fire Department

In New Orleans, reported that the fire department said it is investigating after an employee appeared to mock Kirk鈥檚 killing in a social media comment.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Merle called the remark 鈥渦nacceptable and disturbing,鈥 adding that invoking God in the message 鈥渨as even more disturbing.鈥

Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins vowed to use congressional authority and pressure on tech platforms to seek lifetime bans for users who mocked Charlie Kirk鈥檚 killing. In an X post, he praised Kirk and said he鈥檇 target posts that 鈥渂elittled鈥 the assassination.

Toledo Fire & Rescue

The Toledo (Ohio) Fire & Rescue is investigating a member over an alleged social media post about Kirk鈥檚 death, reported.

The department did not release details about the post, but comments on its recent social media pages claim a lieutenant wrote it and alleged Kirk was killed because of his political beliefs and affiliations.

What do you think about calling out first responders for their social media posts? Could it deepen division, increase scrutiny or even risk inciting violence against them?



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Bill Carey is the associate editor for FireRescue1.com and SA国际传媒.com. A former Maryland volunteer firefighter, sergeant, and lieutenant, Bill has written for several fire service publications and platforms. His work on firefighter behavioral health garnered a 2014 Neal Award nomination. His ongoing research and writings about line-of-duty death data is frequently cited in articles, presentations, and trainings. Have a news tip? He can be reached at news@lexipol.com.
Sarah Roebuck is the news editor for Police1, Corrections1, FireRescue1 and SA国际传媒, leading daily news coverage. With nearly a decade of digital journalism experience, she has been recognized for her expertise in digital media, including being sourced in .

A graduate of Central Michigan University with a broadcast and cinematic arts degree, Roebuck joined Lexipol in April 2023. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com or connect on .