LONDON (BN24) — A local British councillor has resigned following a wave of public outrage after she suggested American conservative commentator Charlie Kirk “brought his assassination upon himself” in a controversial social media post.
Fiona Wild, who was serving as an independent councilor in Burnley, stepped down after her comments about Kirk who was shot in the neck while speaking at a university campus in Utah drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. Authorities in the U.S. are still searching for the gunman responsible for the attack.
In a now-deleted post, Wild wrote: “I don’t condone violence, but I do think he made himself a target and brought this on himself, so good riddance to not a very nice man! America needs to get rid of the other tit now.” Her remarks quickly went viral, prompting widespread calls for her resignation.
Burnley Council confirmed her departure in a statement on Friday: “People may be aware of a social media post made by former independent councillor Fiona Wild. We can confirm that Ms Wild has now resigned from her position. Ms Wild was serving as an independent councillor at the time of her resignation and was not affiliated with any political party group within Burnley Council.”
Council leader Jamie McGowan, who had earlier urged Wild to resign, labeled her comments as “vile,” noting the emotional toll on Kirk’s family. “I think what Cllr Fiona Wild forgets is that two small children have woken up without their daddy this morning, because of nothing more than his political beliefs,” McGowan said. “It’s such a disgusting thing to say, which shows a nasty side I didn’t know she had.”
Wild had previously quit the Labour Party in August and had been serving as an unaffiliated councillor since then. McGowan, a Conservative, responded tersely to her resignation, saying, “All I can say is, good riddance to a not very nice woman.”
Kirk, a prominent figure in the U.S. conservative movement and founder of Turning Point USA, was reportedly addressing issues related to mass shootings when he was struck by a bullet in a targeted attack. He remains in critical condition, according to U.S. authorities, as the investigation continues.
