Overview

• Mayor Justin Bibb placed Fire Chief Anthony Luke on paid administrative leave, calling his Facebook repost “insensitive” and saying it “romanticizes gun violence.”
• The now-deleted post featured a cartoon of Republicans bowing to a golden assault rifle with the line “Bring out the next sacrifice!!” and included a 2023 quote attributed to Charlie Kirk about gun deaths and the Second Amendment.
• City officials are reviewing posts by three other fire and EMS personnel, with those employees remaining on duty during the internal inquiry.
• After removing the cartoon, Luke shared a Sandy Hook Promise video and wrote that Republican actions on gun regulation are “inhuman and immoral,” signaling he stood by his criticism.
• Legal experts say discipline beyond leave could invite a First Amendment challenge unless the city shows the speech undermined job performance or public trust, noting prior cases where off-duty commentary was protected.