Pentagon suspends Army colonel for celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death

Army Col. Scott Stephens has been suspended from official duties after social media posts purportedly belonging to him celebrated the killing of Charlie Kirk, the Army told Fox News Digital. 

An Army spokesperson confirmed Stephens’ suspension and said there is an investigation underway into his conduct. Stephens could not be reached for comment by publication time.  

“The death of Charlie Kirk in Utah was tragic. However, we can take comfort in the fact that Charlie was doing what he loved best — spreading hate, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and transphobia on college campuses,” one post read. 

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“I would offer empathy, but Charlie hated empathy. As we have been told in the wake of so many other tragedies, we have to move on. We can’t make this political.” 

The colonel, who was once commander of 1st Battalion, 4th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade, has fashioned himself as an anti-sexual assault crusader in the Army. 

In 2021, he told Task & Purpose he had long been part of the problem with sexual assault and its cover-ups in the Army. 

PENTAGON ANNOUNCES ‘ZERO TOLERANCE’ FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL MOCKING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION

“I’ve been guilty my whole life,” he said.  “And I’d say within the last couple of years I’ve sort of come to terms with that. And I have personally chosen … to take this on in my latter years and try to be vocal … and try to drag some of my peers along.” 

“I don’t think that I know a single woman in the Army who has not been harassed,” Stephens said. “And I would be pretty hard-pressed to find a woman that I personally know that hasn’t been assaulted. And it’s devastating. These are my teammates. These are my sisters.” 

The Pentagon announced last week it was tracking and “would address” active-duty personnel who had made public comments celebrating Kirk’s death. 

“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American. The Department of War has zero tolerance for it,” Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary of war for public affairs, chief Pentagon spokesman and senior advisor, declared in a post on X.

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“We are tracking all these very closely — and will address immediately. Completely unacceptable,” Secretary Pete Hegseth added, sharing Parnell’s post.

On Saturday Army Reserves Maj. Bryan Bintliff, who went by “Bryan Harlow” on social media, was suspended after he allegedly wrote several posts cheering on the killing, the Daily Caller first reported. 

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“A monster died today,” one post read. “It’s sad Charlie’s kids are traumatized for life, but it’s not a sad thing that he’s dead.”

“Zero tolerance at the Department of War for those who celebrate or mock the assassination of fellow Americans,” Parnell wrote on X, confirming the suspension.