A man armed with a gun and a knife and falsely claiming to be a member of law enforcement was detained at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, the site of a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week in Utah.
The incident occurred Friday, as federal and local authorities were preparing for the high-security event scheduled for Sunday. The U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with Glendale police, apprehended the individual after he was observed “exhibiting suspicious behavior.”
“The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
Authorities “are investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”
So far, the man, who has not been publicly identified, allegedly presented inactive law enforcement credentials and claimed he was at the stadium to provide private security. As of right now, it remains unclear if he has been formally charged, but he was reportedly taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
More On The Memorial:
The upcoming memorial for Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, has been designated a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event, a designation that prompts Super Bowl-level security measures and federal resources.
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other administration officials are scheduled to speak at the funeral service, which is expected to draw more than 63,000 attendees to the NFL stadium. Federal authorities stated Friday that they are tracking “several threats of unknown credibility” against those planning to attend the service.
More On Charlie Kirk’s Assassination:
As we previously reported, the man charged with Kirk’s fatal shooting, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, turned himself in a day after the incident at Utah Valley University.
Utah authorities are seeking the death penalty against Robinson, a move that has sparked renewed debate over capital punishment.