Florida Reporter Suspended After Gun Control Question Following Charlie Kirk Shooting

Florida Politics reporter A.G. Gancarski was suspended after sending a question to Rep. Randy Fine shortly after Charlie Kirk was shot, asking if the incident affected Fine's stance on campus carry and gun control. Fine, who had only just learned of the shooting, called the inquiry "repulsive" and told the reporter to never contact him again, later sharing the exchange publicly on X. Publisher Peter Schorsch stated that the timing of the question was inappropriate, emphasizing the need for empathy in tragic situations and suspending Gancarski for several days. Gancarski defended his question as valid given Fine's sponsorship of a bill allowing concealed carry on college campuses, but Schorsch asserted that political ramifications should not be discussed while the victim was still in critical condition. The incident highlights tensions between media inquiry and sensitivity in the immediate aftermath of tragedies, with Fine expressing strong opposition to the reporter's approach. This controversy also follows other reactions to Kirk’s shooting, including the firing of an MSNBC analyst who linked Kirk’s rhetoric to the violence.