Cleveland fire chief removed from duty over ‘incendiary’ Charlie Kirk social media post

The chief of the Cleveland Division of Fire was placed on paid administrative leave after sharing an “insensitive” and “incendiary” social media post in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Mayor Justin Bibb announced Tuesday. 

The since-deleted Facebook post by Anthony P. Luke referred to Kirk and featured a cartoon showing elephants worshiping a golden rifle with one elephant declaring, “Bring out the next sacrifice!!” according to Fox 8 News.

The post reportedly appeared on Luke’s personal Facebook page after Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was tragically killed at a college campus event in Utah Sept. 10.

Bibb said the post “crossed the line.”

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Cleveland Fire Chief Anthony Luke was placed on leave for an “incendiary” social media post about the death of conservative leader Charlie Kirk. (Melissa Majchrzak/AFP via Getty Images/City of Cleveland)

“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,” Bibb wrote.

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“I firmly believe in free speech, and the First Amendment protects every individual’s right to express opinions — even those that are unpopular, provocative, or difficult to hear. But with rights come responsibilities, especially for those who hold positions of public trust and leadership. A public safety leader is not just another citizen: they are a standard-bearer for what the City of Cleveland stands for, what we teach our children, and how our neighbors should expect to be treated — and protected.

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Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah, prior to the assassination. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

“Chief Luke’s post crossed the line. 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. Therefore, I am, effective immediately, placing Chief Luke on paid administrative leave pending an investigation,” Bibb concluded.

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Luke was appointed as the city’s 17th fire chief.