Conservative activist Charlie Kirk (31) was shot dead at Utah Valley University on September 10. The Carolina Panthers are taking action after an employee made inappropriate comments about the incident on his private social media channels.

The shock in the US is great: Conservative political activist Charlie Kirk (31) was shot dead on a university campus during an event in front of hundreds of students.

Because Kirk repeatedly advocated for gun rights, there were voices after his death, especially on social media platforms, that expressed schadenfreude—even claiming that he “deserved it” and that people felt “no sympathy.”

This was also the case with Charlie Rock, communications coordinator for the Carolina Panthers football team.

Rock posted on his private Instagram account just a few hours after Kirk’s death.

Panthers issue public statement and dismiss employee

The post read: “Why are you sad? Your man said it was worth it…” He accompanied the post with a photo of Kirk. Rock also referenced the Wu-Tang Clan song “Protect Ya Neck.”

The Panthers have fired a football communications staffer for IG story posts mocking the death of Charlie Kirk, per @scott_fowler.

The team also released a statement addressing the situation: pic.twitter.com/eeec3GXX4B

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 11, 2025

The Panthers took action and fired Rock.

The franchise said in a statement that the views expressed by its employees were their own and did not represent those of the club, and that violence of any kind would not be tolerated.

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.

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 11, 2025

Rock was still an intern in the Panthers’ communications department in 2024 and was recently hired for a full-time position.