Oregon City Council Member Resigns After Post Appearing to Celebrate Assassination of Charlie Kirk

A city council member in Cornelius, Oregon, has resigned from his position after fallout from allegedly making a Facebook post celebrating the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. 

Cornelius Mayor Jeffrey Dalin announced on Friday afternoon that councilmember John Colgan had submitted his resignation after he allegedly made comments saying 31-year-old Kirk’s horrific shooting death “really brightened up my day,” KATU reported. Colgan later reportedly responded to backlash to his post, saying, “Charlie [Kirk] was a f****** ghoul who got on tv after every school shooting and mass shooting and defended guns. He’d want us to support the gun in this case.”

Colgan’s post was eventually removed, but other social media users took screenshots of the alleged post before it was taken down. 

Dalin said Colgan’s comments “do not reflect my values or the values of the City of Cornelius.” Dalin’s full statement reads:

This afternoon, September 12, 2025, Former City Councilor John Colgan submitted his resignation letter to the City Manager and me. In his resignation, he expressed that he is deeply sorry for his comments and the harm they caused to our community and staff. Effective immediately, he has resigned from City Council.

The comments made by Former City Councilor Colgan on social media do not reflect my values or the values of the City of Cornelius.

I am committed to fostering respectful dialogue and ensuring that every member of our community feels safe to share their views without fear of harm, intimidation, or retaliation.

Violence is never an acceptable response to differences in opinion or belief. I strongly condemn all acts of political violence and stand firmly against words or actions that could incite it.

Colgan is also a teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle School in Forest Grove. The school district confirmed on Friday that Colgan has been placed on paid administrative leave.

“We recognize the harm caused by our staff member’s post and we are taking the situation seriously,” Forest Grove School District said in a statement. “Consistent with our policies, we have placed this staff member on paid administrative leave and we are conducting an investigation. We are committed to keeping families informed as the process moves forward.”