Josselyn Berry, the press secretary for Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, resigned on Wednesday after posting a controversial tweet that seemed to endorse violence against "transphobes" following the tragic shooting at a Nashville Christian school.
In an unsigned statement, Hobbs' office announced Berry's resignation, stating, "The Governor does not condone violence in any form. This administration holds mutual respect at the forefront of how we engage with one another. The post by the Press Secretary is not reflective of the values of the administration."
The incident occurred on Monday, when Berry tweeted an image of a woman wielding guns just hours after the Covenant School shooting, which claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three staff members. The 28-year-old shooter, Audrey Hale, who identified as transgender, was killed by police officers who responded to the scene.
Berry's tweet, which has since been deleted, read, "Us when we see transphobes," accompanied by a gun-toting GIF from the 1980 film "Gloria." Arizona Republicans were quick to criticize the tweet, with Daniel Scarpinato, a former chief of staff to ex-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, telling the Arizona Republic, "I don't think anyone, no matter your political leanings, would look at that tweet...and say, 'This is how I want one of the top advisers to the governor of my state to conduct themselves.'"
The Arizona Freedom Caucus tweeted, "Less than 12 hours after the tragic shooting in Nashville by a deranged transgender activist [Hobbs'] Press Secretary calls for shooting people Democrats disagree with." The Republican group demanded Berry's immediate dismissal, noting that her "vile tweet encouraging violence" had not been removed despite being seen by millions.
Arizona State Sen. Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) described Berry's tweet as "massively disturbing" and called for her immediate resignation. Berry eventually made her Twitter account private. Prior to joining Gov. Hobbs' team, she worked at Progress Now Arizona, a progressive nonprofit specializing in strategic digital campaign services.