Controversy Surrounds Former Michigan Prosecutor’s Comments After Charlie Kirk’s Shooting

A former prosecutor in Michigan found himself at the center of an online backlash after Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was killed on Wednesday. This incident occurred while Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The 31-year-old conservative activist was addressing supporters when he was fatally shot.

Carol Siemon, who resigned in 2022 as the top prosecutor in Ingham County, which includes Lansing, reacted to the shooting in a manner that has drawn criticism. On social media, she seemed to poke fun at Kirk’s long-standing support for gun rights, stating, “I’m so sorry when someone was shot.” Following the uproar, Siemon’s social media account appears to have been deleted, and she did not provide further comments when approached.

While many expressed their condolences for Kirk, Siemon’s remarks ignited a firestorm of criticism. Former Michigan Senator Tom Leonard, who is also running for governor, condemned her statement, accusing her of “politicizing the murders of a young father and husband.”

Leonard criticized Siemon’s handling of crime during her tenure, calling out her record and suggesting that cities had become more dangerous under her watch. Elected as the county’s first female prosecutor in 2016, Siemon faced scrutiny for her approach to law enforcement and her decisions surrounding various criminal cases.

Notably, in 2019, Siemon allowed a man connected to a mass shooting at Michigan State University in 2023 to avoid jail time for firearm-related charges; this latter incident resulted in three deaths and several injuries. The decision gave him a clean slate in terms of purchasing firearms.

In another recent case, Judge Rosemary Aquilina criticized prosecutors, including Siemon, for an arrangement that she deemed creatively avoiding legal repercussions for a convicted murderer.