Cleveland’s fire chief has been placed on paid administrative leave for a controversial social media post.
Mayor Justin Bibb announced the move Tuesday after backlash over the posting.
The Post
Chief Anthony P. Luke shared the post on his personal Facebook page.
It came days after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was shot and killed in Utah on September 10.
Luke’s post featured a cartoon mocking Republicans and gun culture.
It showed elephants bowing before a golden rifle.
One elephant said, “Bring out the next sacrifice!!”
Screenshot
The post was later deleted after outrage spread online.
Mayor’s Statement
Mayor Justin Bibb condemned the post as “insensitive” and “incendiary,” saying it romanticized gun violence in a city already scarred by shootings.
“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 said.
Mayor Justin Bibb
While acknowledging free speech protections, Bibb stressed that leaders carry added responsibility.
“With rights come responsibilities, especially for those who hold positions of public trust and leadership,” he said. “A public safety leader is not just another citizen: they are a standard-bearer for what the City of Cleveland stands for.”
Bibb declared that Chief Luke’s comments “crossed the line” and did not reflect the values of compassion, unity, and safety.
“We should never glorify violence; we should confront it, heal from it, and work tirelessly to prevent its next occurrence,” he said.
“Therefore, I am, effective immediately, placing Chief Luke on paid administrative leave pending an investigation,” Bibb announced.
He added that Cleveland citizens “deserve leaders who understand the gravity of gun violence and who act in ways that bring us together rather than deepen wounds.”
Disciplinary Action
Mayor Bibb said Luke was placed on leave effective immediately.
The leave will remain in place pending a full investigation.
Luke’s role as fire chief has been suspended during the review.
He is the 17th person to serve as Cleveland’s fire chief.
Officials have not said who will oversee the division in his absence.
Community Reaction
The mayor’s statement was posted publicly on social media.
He called the chief’s comments a betrayal of public trust.
The post sparked widespread anger among residents and city officials.
Critics said the chief mocked a political assassination.
Supporters of Kirk’s family called the post heartless and cruel.
I read this as anti-gun, not anti-Charlie Kirk.