Oxford Union president-elect accused of 'celebrating' Charlie Kirk's death

The incoming president of the Oxford Union, George Abaraonye, has been accused of making light of the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk.

According to the Daily Mail, Abaraonye allegedly posted distasteful comments about Kirk's tragic death moments after he was shot in the neck by a single bullet while speaking about mass shootings at a university campus in Utah.

Messages purportedly sent by Abaraonye have been widely shared on social media platforms. This news comes as Charlie Kirk goes down as gun violence martyr after 'prudent deal' claim resurfaces.

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One message, alleged to have been sent on WhatsApp, reads: "Charlie Kirk got shot, let's f***ing go". Another message, supposedly posted by Abaraonye on Instagram, says: "Charlie Kirk got shot loool", reports the Express.

Abaraonye's Instagram account has since been made private, preventing anyone from viewing his posts on the platform. It remains unclear whether the WhatsApp account that apparently shared the messages actually belongs to Abaraonye.

Abaraonye, who was elected president in June, previously clashed with the American conservative activist during a heated event at the University in May.

The pair engaged in a fiery debate about the controversial concept of "toxic masculinity", during which they sharply disagreed about the damaging impact it posed on younger generations of men and women.

Abaraonye also served as the vice-president of the Oxford African and Caribbean Society, a role that required him to participate "on the Race Equality Task force to engage in conversations on racial diversity with wider university".

Fierce backlash prompts heartfelt apology

In response to the intense backlash from the alleged messages, Abaraonye released a statement asserting they were made in a "moment of shock" and "did not reflect my values".

He stated: "Last night I received the shocking news about a shooting at Charlie Kirk's event. In that moment of shock, I reacted impulsively and made comments prior to Charlie being pronounced dead that I quickly deleted upon learning of his passing. Those words did not reflect my values.

"To be clear: nobody deserves to be the victim of political violence. Nobody should be harmed or killed for the views they hold.

"I may have disagreed strongly with Mr. Kirk's politics, but in death we all deserve respect, and I extend my condolences to his family and loved ones.

"At the same time, my reaction was shaped by the context of Mr. Kirk's own rhetoric - words that often dismissed or mocked the suffering of others. He described the deaths of American children from school shootings as an acceptable 'cost' of protecting gun rights.

"He justified the killing of civilians in Gaza, including women and children, by blaming them collectively for Hamas. He called for the retraction of the Civil Rights Act, and repeatedly spread harmful stereotypes about LGBTQ and trans communities. These were horrific and dehumanising statements.

"My reaction was not a call for violence, but a raw, unprocessed response to what felt like a painful irony. I retracted those words almost immediately, yet I've been troubled to see some in the media ignore my retraction while amplifying my deleted comments.

"A standard of behaviour that is now leading to racist comments and a myriad of threats and discrimination made towards me. It is right to call out my insensitivity, but the same scrutiny must be applied to rhetoric that has caused real harm and continues to do so."

Right-wing campaigner shot dead during university talk

Kirk was hit in the throat by a lone bullet whilst giving a presentation on mass killings at a college campus in Utah yesterday.

The father-of-two was raced to hospital, where he sadly succumbed to his devastating wounds.

A frantic search remains underway for the gunman, who was described as a young man of student age - with authorities confirming on Thursday they had secured CCTV footage of the perpetrator.

They disclosed a powerful bolt-action weapon was found in nearby woodland after the attacker jumped from the rooftop and escaped the area. Oxford Union condemns president-elect's shocking comments.

According to The Guardian in a statement on Thursday, the Oxford Union slammed the student's comments and declared it "firmly opposes all forms of political violence and strongly stands by our commitment to free speech and considerate debate".

"The Oxford Union would like to unequivocally condemn the reported words and sentiments expressed by its president-elect, George Abaraonye, with regards to the passing of Charlie Kirk," the society wrote on X.

"His reported views do not represent the Oxford Union's current leadership or committee's view.

"The current administration has, under president Moosa Harraj, no association with and is entirely independent from Mr Abaraonye's administration."

The statement added: "We would like to reiterate that our condolences lie with Charlie Kirk's family, especially his wife and young children, who are enduring such terrible grief."