Phoenix, AZ — PHNX Sports has terminated Suns beat reporter Gerald Bourguet following a series of comments on X concerning the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, 30, was shot and killed Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. Hours later, Bourguet posted that declining to mourn Kirk was different from endorsing gun violence. “Political differences are not the same thing as spewing hateful rhetoric on a daily basis,” one post read. In another, he wrote, “Truly don’t care if you think it’s insensitive — too many of you are more concerned with being polite and appearing to be good people rather than showing some damn backbone and standing on principle to condemn hate.”
The messages drew immediate backlash online. On Friday, PHNX Sports released a statement—without naming Bourguet—saying the company had “addressed this matter with the individual and made the decision to part ways.” The organization, part of the ALLCITY Network, added that it “takes matters involving violence very seriously” and strives to keep its community safe.
The Arizona Republic later confirmed Bourguet as the employee who was dismissed.
Bourguet is the second sports figure this week to lose his job over posts about Kirk’s death. On Thursday, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers fired communications coordinator Charlie Rock, calling one of his social media comments “insensitive” in the wake of the shooting.
Source: Hoops Wire
