Palmetto Bay, Florida, Councilman Steve Cody is under growing pressure to step down after publishing a social media post that mocked the Christian faith of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk just hours after his assassination.
Cody, a Democrat first elected to the Florida council in 2020, shared a message on his personal Facebook account quoting Kirk on the Second Amendment and referring to him as a “fitting sacrifice” to gun rights.
The post read: “Charlie Kirk is a fitting sacrifice to our Lords: Smith and Wesson. Hallowed be their names.”
The remark, which appeared to parody the Lord’s Prayer, was preserved by local outlets before Cody deleted it.
The same account also displayed an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump holding and shouting at a taco, a detail that fueled criticism of Cody’s judgment.
Kirk, who founded the national conservative group Turning Point USA, was leading an open debate with students at Utah Valley University when he was fatally struck in the neck by an assassin’s bullet.
He was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Authorities later confirmed on Friday that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
After the backlash, Cody attempted to walk back his remarks.