The former mayor of North California town, Auburn, Bill Kirby, died in a plane crash on Saturday morning near the Auburn Municipal Airport.

Bill Kirby recently stepped down from his post as a mayor after getting massive backlash on social media because he likened Trump supporters to KKK members.

Dr. Bill Kirby, a former mayor and also a urologist, was the pilot of the plane that crashed around 11 AM on Saturday, newspapers reported. Another passenger on the plane was rushed to the hospital and has suffered minor injuries. Kirby has been a licensed pilot since 2009, according to public records.

The former mayor gained public attention last week after posting an offensive meme suggesting that President Donald Trump supporters are like KKK members.

Kirby has always been known to be a vocal critic of Trump, but Trump’s supporters didn’t let his last comment slide. Angered residents from Auburn demanded an explanation from Kirby and confronted him during a city council meeting for COVID-19. In an official statement, Kirby expressed that he was remorseful, but he still believed that people just overreacted to his post. “Am I perfect? No. We’re all a little flawed,” he said. “Some people have viewed my posts, which were meant to be private and made out of frustration, as over the top.”

Following the controversy, Kirby announced during a city council meeting on Monday that he will be resigning as mayor and would be replaced by Councilman Daniel Berlant.

On Sunday, Sacramento political consultant Jeff Raimundo posted the official statement of Kirby’s family regarding his sudden death. They confirmed the former mayor’s death and the survival of another passenger but have not provided any other details. “Our family is devastated by this tragic news. Bill devoted decades of enthusiastic and loving support to his family, his patients and the Auburn community he loved so much. We will miss him immensely but take comfort in knowing he died while flying–one of the other loves of his life,” the family said in a statement.