Armed Man Detained at Charlie Kirk Memorial Site in Arizona Over ‘Suspicious Behavior’
- A man with a weapon was detained near State Farm Stadium before a large memorial event.
- Secret Service and local law enforcement say he falsely claimed to be law enforcement.
- Officials are reviewing his background and tracking multiple threats tied to the event.
On Sunday, a memorial service for Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Organizers expect a massive crowd, with estimates up to 100,000 people, and high-profile attendees including President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. That scale makes security a top priority.
Massive security is planned for the event, and law enforcement has been preparing for weeks. The detention on Friday underscores why officials can’t be casual about screening and access. Any armed individual near a crowd like that becomes an immediate red flag.
Now, the news of an arrest at the stadium on Friday has heightened those concerns. The Secret Service said the suspect claimed a law enforcement connection and presented himself as armed, which triggered intervention. He was taken into custody after agents determined he was not authorized to be working the event.
An armed man who claimed to be connected to law enforcement was detained Friday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the Secret Service told Fox News Digital.
“The U.S. Secret Service in coordination with local law enforcement in Glendale, Arizona, is investigating an individual who was observed exhibiting suspicious behavior at State Farm Stadium,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News Digital on Saturday.
“The individual was approached by Secret Service and stated during the encounter that he was a member of law enforcement and that he was armed. The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,” Guglielmi added.
Authorities did not immediately release specifics about the so-called “suspicious behavior” that prompted the stop. They are, however, digging into his background and motives to determine if this was a lone act or something more deliberate. Given the prominence of attendees, investigators are treating the situation seriously.
“This guy is a former deputy sheriff out of Idaho. He came and identified himself with expired credentials. They are going through his background and trying to figure out what he was up to there,” a federal source familiar with the investigation told Fox News.
Officials also say they’re “tracking several threats of unknown credibility,” according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC News. The memo warned that “violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior U.S. government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists and due to major international media attention.” That warning makes plain why extra caution is in effect.
“Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior U.S. government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists and due to major international media attention,” the memo reportedly says.
This is a developing story and investigators continue to review details and any potential connections to broader threats. We will provide updates as more information becomes available. For now, officials urge vigilance and patience from anyone planning to attend the memorial.
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