Palmetto Bay Councilman Steve Cody said he would not resign after drawing widespread condemnation for a Facebook post that described the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk as "a fitting sacrifice" to "our Lords: Smith & Wesson." Cody deleted the post and issued an apology, saying the wording was "insensitive," but he told NBC6 he would not bow to calls for his removal.
The post, which included a graphic of Kirk and a quote from his 2023 remarks defending gun rights, prompted protests outside Palmetto Bay Village Hall and public rebukes from elected officials across the state. Mayor Karyn Cunningham, joined by dozens of residents, state lawmakers and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, led a rally demanding Cody's resignation. "Violence has no place in our community or in our nation, and words that seek to diminish or make light of such tragedy are equally harmful," Cunningham said.
Cody, an attorney who sits on the village council, said his post was born of anger over the nation's gun violence epidemic and did not reflect his values. "I regrettably made a significant error in judgment… This action, born out of my deep anger and frustration with the now too common tragedy of gun violence, was misguided," he wrote on Facebook. He acknowledged causing "a lot of pain for people I know and people that I respect," and said he had taken the post down.
Republican state Representative Omar Blanco, speaking at the rally, called the remarks "appalling, disgraceful, and not reflective of the service and sacrifice we are sworn to uphold," and urged Cody to resign. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also posted on X that, if the Facebook post was legitimate, Cody "should resign from his position as a Palmetto Bay council member immediately." The Republican Party of Miami-Dade County said it planned to appear at City Hall to join calls for his removal.
Mayor Cunningham acknowledged the village council lacks the authority to remove Cody and said only state officials in Tallahassee could intervene. She said she will formally request that Cody step down at the council's next meeting.
The controversy comes in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, 31, who was shot while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. Kirk was struck in the neck and later died at a hospital. Authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson on Thursday night after a family tip to law enforcement, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said.
Governor Cox said a family member of Robinson contacted a family friend who in turn notified the Washington County Sheriff's Office, relaying that Robinson had confessed or implied responsibility for the shooting. Family members told investigators that Robinson had become "more political in recent years" and had expressed antipathy toward Kirk, saying the commentator was "full of hate and spreading hate," Cox said. The motive for the killing remained unclear.
Investigators said the suspected gunman had taken a high-powered bolt-action rifle to a rooftop near the venue. The weapon was later recovered in nearby woods along with unspent rounds engraved with messages that included: "Hey Fascist! Catch!" and other phrases, authorities said. Robinson's roommate directed officers to the suspect's Discord account and told police that Robinson had asked him to retrieve the rifle, wrapped in a towel, from bushes.
Local reporting and social media posts attributed to the suspect's family indicate Robinson attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021 on a presidential scholarship but did not complete his studies. Family photos circulated online show him around firearms, and relatives described him as increasing in political engagement in recent years.
Palmetto Bay residents and local officials said Cody's remarks struck a painful chord coming so soon after the killing. "Do we condone celebrating the assassination of an activist or any individual, and the answer is a hard no," Cunningham said in an interview, adding that village leaders must reflect community values when making policy.
Cody said he regretted the post and would apologize to those he said he had hurt, but he reiterated his refusal to resign. He told NBC6, "I wouldn't have done that. I regret it, but the best I can do is apologize to those who I hurt and vow to go forward and behave differently from this point on." The council is expected to address the matter at its next meeting, while public and political pressure for his removal continues.