A U.S. Marine has been relieved of recruiting duties and is under investigation after posting what the Pentagon described as celebratory social media comments about the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, officials said.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a post on X that celebrating or mocking the killing of a fellow American is unacceptable and that the Defense Department has "zero tolerance" for such conduct. The action followed public attention to an Instagram post by Capt. Jacoby Williamson, a Marine officer who has served in a variety of roles since 2013.
Lt. Col. Joshua Benson, the Marine Corps' lead spokesman, told USA Today the service was aware of "a social media post that does not align with our core values" and that the officer "has been relieved of his recruiting duties, and the matter is currently under investigation." The Daily Mail, which first reported the firing, said it had sought comment from Williamson and the Pentagon.
The removal followed an Instagram snap in which Williamson shared a segment of an interview with Kirk — titled "DEI in the cockpit" — and added the caption, "Another racist man popped," accompanied by an emoji. The post was amplified online when the LibsOfTikTok account drew attention to it and asked conservative commentator Pete Hegseth to call for Williamson's firing.
Hegseth, who has publicly commented on the shooting, quote-tweeted Parnell’s statement on X and said the Pentagon and others were "tracking all these very closely — and will address, immediately. Completely unacceptable." Hegseth had also posted messages expressing sorrow after the initial attack and later writing, after Kirk was confirmed dead, "Well done, good and faithful servant." He has called for accountability for incendiary comments by uniformed personnel.
The episode was one of several high-profile employment consequences after Kirk, 31, was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. Kirk was struck in the neck while answering a question before an audience of about 3,000 and later died at a hospital, authorities said.
Tyler Robinson, 29, was arrested in southern Utah about 11 p.m. local time on Thursday after a manhunt lasting more than a day and a half. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators learned from Robinson’s family that he had recently grown more political and had expressed dislike for Kirk. Cox told reporters that casings from the weapon used in the attack bore engraved messages that investigators described as anti-fascist and included phrases such as "Hey Fascists, Catch!" and other taunts.
Robinson has been taken into custody on charges connected to the shooting and, if convicted, could face the death penalty, authorities said. The investigation included tips from a family member who contacted law enforcement, the governor said. Officials previously offered a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the suspect's capture.
In a separate personnel matter tied to the public reaction, the U.S. Secret Service placed an agent on administrative leave after the agent, identified in media reports as Anthony Pough of Royersford, Pennsylvania, posted on Facebook that Kirk's death was "karma". The Secret Service said in a statement published by media outlets that it would not tolerate behavior that violates its code of conduct and that it was reviewing the matter.
The actions against military and federal employees come amid intense scrutiny of public expressions following politically charged violence. Military regulations and federal employee rules restrict public commentary that could undermine discipline, good order, or the perceived neutrality of the uniformed services and law enforcement agencies.
Pentagon officials and Marine Corps spokespeople did not provide an immediate timeline for the conclusion of the Marines’ investigation. The Daily Mail reported it had reached out to the Marine in question and to the Pentagon for further comment. The investigations into comments by federal employees, and the broader probe into the shooting, remain ongoing.