The incoming president of the Oxford Union has been accused of celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
George Abaraonye allegedly shared comments making light of Kirk’s death shortly after he was struck in the neck by a single bullet while speaking about mass shootings at a university campus in Utah.
The Telegraph claims to have seen messages supposedly sent by Abaraonye, which have also been shared on social media.
One, said to have been sent on Whatsapp, reads: ‘Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f***ing go’. Another message, which the Telegraph claims was posted by Abaraonye on Instagram, says: ‘Charlie Kirk got shot loool’.
The Oxford student’s Instagram account has been made private, preventing anyone from viewing his posts on the platform. It is also unclear whether the Whatsapp account that appeared to share the messages belongs to Abaraonye.
Abaraonye was elected for the presidency in June and previously came head-to-head with the American conservative activist during an event at the University in May.
The pair debated about the concept of ‘toxic masculinity’, during which they disagreed about the 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 which involved him sitting ‘on the Race Equality Task force to engage in conversations on racial diversity with wider university’.
The incoming president of the Oxford Union George Abaraonye debates American conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event in May
Kirk was struck in the neck by a single bullet while speaking about mass shootings at a university campus in Utah. He is pictured at the event on Wednesday before his death
One of the messages that was allegedly sent by Abaraonye shortly after Kirk’s death
Kirk was struck in the neck by a single bullet while speaking about mass shootings at a university campus in Utah yesterday.
The married father of two was rushed to hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries.
A manhunt is still ongoing for the shooter, who was described as a male of college age – with officials saying on Thursday they had video footage of the individual.
They said a high-powered bolt action rifle was recovered from a wooded area nearby after the shooter jumped from the roof and fled the scene.
President Trump was quick to express his sadness at the tragedy, calling Kirk a ‘martyr for truth and freedom’.
‘Charlie was the best of America and the monster who was attacking him was attacking our whole country,’ he said, before ordering flags on US government buildings to be lowered to half-mast, including three at the White House.
He added in another post: ‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.
‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday
President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social nearly five hours after the shooting, offering his sympathies to his wife and family
Trump was quick to express his sadness at the tragedy, describing Kirk as ‘great’ and ‘legendary’
While Kirk’s assassination sparked an outpouring of tributes, it has also led to accusations that the Left are using his death to score political points because of his strong opinions.
Left-wing writer Nels Abbey sparked outrage after comparing the activist to David Duke, the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Thursday.
The BBC has also come under fire over its ‘distasteful’ coverage of the killing after inviting Democratic strategist Joi Chaney onto the panel, who stunned audiences when she said Mr Kirk ‘wasn’t admired and loved by all’.
Another post which sparked a backlash was from left-wing activist Femi Oluwole, who said: ‘The same people who spent the last two years telling us to treat the murder of 80,000 in Gaza as an acceptable and justified loss are about to get real precious about the sanctity of one human life.’
An Oxford University spokesperson said: ‘The Oxford Union is independent of the University. We deplore comments appearing to endorse violence — they are unacceptable and entirely contrary to the values of our community.’
The Oxford Union said in a statement: ‘The Oxford Union would like to unequivocally condemn the reported words and sentiments expressed by the President-Elect, George Abaraonye, with regards to the passing of Charlie Kirk.
‘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.
‘In alignment with the statement published by out society earlier today, we reaffirm our stance that the Oxford Union firmly opposes all forms of political violence and strongly stands by our commitment to free speech and considerate debate.
‘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.’
