Ousted Oxford Union president-elect apologizes to Charlie Kirk’s family for celebrating assassination
George Abaraonye was president-elect of the Oxford Union before his resignation because of his comments after Kirk’s assassination. Oxford African and Caribbean Society
The Oxford Union’s president-elect, George Abaraonye, has apologized for celebrating the shooting of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, an incident that led to his resignation from the historic debate society.
Abaraonye, 20, expressed remorse Friday to Kirk’s widow, Erika, and their two children, acknowledging the insensitivity of his comments following the fatal shooting at Utah Valley University on September 10.
“I want to offer my apologies and my condolences. No one deserves to lose a husband, no child deserves to grow up without a father. I hope that they are able, in some capacity, to move on from what was a tragic event and to that end, I am very sorry,” Abaraonye said, according to The Times.
Shortly after the shooting, Abaraonye had posted messages celebrating the incident, including:
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“Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f–king go” on WhatsApp
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“Charlie Kirk got shot loool” on Instagram
Abaraonye later explained that he had made the remarks without full context. “I had very little context for what I was reacting to, but I wanted to start a conversation … I missed the mark … and that’s why I deleted and retracted my comments,” he said. “As soon as I saw how serious it was, I went on Instagram to apologize.”
Following widespread criticism, a vote of no confidence was held on October 21, leading to Abaraonye’s resignation from the Oxford Union presidency. The vote, held on November 24, ended 1,228 to 501 in favor of his removal, the Oxford Student reported.
Abaraonye, a third-year Philosophy, Politics, and Economics student, had previously debated Kirk when the activist visited Oxford in May. During the debate, Abaraonye questioned Kirk on the impact of contemporary culture on young men and challenged him on topics such as “infantilization of young men” and “toxic femininity.”
The man accused of Kirk’s murder, Tyler Robinson, was arrested days after the shooting. He faces charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice.
In a Thanksgiving message on Thursday, Erika Kirk reflected on gratitude despite her loss. “Even now, well, especially now, in the depths of the ache, I’m reminded of that gratitude,” she wrote. “God blessed me with being married to the love of my life, with our beautiful babies, with our family and friends, and with people from all over the world who have sent us letters, toys, artwork, and Bibles.”
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