A man carrying a firearm and a knife has been arrested at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona, where the late Charlie Kirk’s memorial is set to be held.
The man is reported to have been a former sheriff’s deputy from Idaho.
Law enforcement officials explained that the unnamed individual had entered the premises before the security perimeter was set up and had been behaving suspiciously when they apprehended him.
Highlights
- A man carrying a firearm and knife was arrested at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona ahead of Charlie Kirk’s memorial.
- The individual reportedly was a former Idaho deputy who entered the venue before security was fully established.
- Attendees are expected to start arriving as early as 2 a.m., with enhanced security measures including drones and helicopters.
The Secret Service saw the man behaving suspiciously
Image credits: Charlie Kirk
Fox News reported Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi saying, “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.”
The Secret Service arrested the man and later observed that, despite his claims, “the individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event.”
The organization said they were still “investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”
A Department of Homeland Security memo cited concerns about high-profile politicians making the event an attraction for bad actors
Image credits: Eric Thayer/Getty
The development follows reports that “Federal agencies are tracking security threats to Charlie Kirk’s funeral.”
ABC, which saw a memo distributed among said agencies, reported on September 19 that “Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets.”
The memo cited attending “senior US government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists,” and the “major international media attention” they were prone to attract as its motivation for this view.
The DHS memo also noted a greater risk of a lone wolf than a group of operatives
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty
Underscoring this assessment, the Department of Homeland Security indicated on Thursday, September 18, that it had designated Kirk’s memorial a Special Event Assessment Rating 1 (SEAR 1), which is the same level of security afforded to the Super Bowl and Boston Marathon.
The outlet further noted that the memo observed a greater risk of lone bad actors than group operatives.
Chief of the Phoenix, Arizona Secret Service field office, William Mack, weighed in on their efforts ahead of the event, saying:
“Our teams are already on the ground in Phoenix and Glendale, working side-by-side with state, local, and federal partners.”
Image credits: Joe Raedle/Getty
“Together, we are fully committed to ensuring that these solemn events receive the comprehensive protection and support they require.”
Attendees are expected to start arriving at the venue from 2 a.m.
A spokesperson from the Glendale Police Department, Jose Santiago, weighed in saying that people were expected to start lining up at the entrance from 2 a.m., five hours ahead of the 7 a.m. opening time.
“Officers will be anywhere the eye can see, and in places it can’t,” he said, referencing the use of drones and helicopters.
Image credits: Charlie Kirk
ABC cited Derek Mayer, a former Secret Service assistant special agent in charge of the Chicago field office, who described the security operation as a “whole of government” operation.
“With President Trump and many other high-profile individuals expected to attend, along with the amount of public attention focused on the funeral, it makes sense for DHS to declare this as a SEAR event,” he observed.
The development comes as news outlets hone in on the shooter’s home life
The looming memorial comes as the media continues to probe the shooter’s life.
Rightwing outlet Fox News has reported on Robinson’s roommate, who has surrendered incriminating digital correspondence from the now-incarcerated sniper.
It also alleged that Lance Twiggs battled with substances and booze to the point that his father kicked him out of the house.
Emphasis has been placed on Kirk’s final conversation before he was shot
One particularly sticky point for the left was the report that Twiggs is a transitioning transgender.
Image credits: Dlz28/Wikimedia
This point has been superimposed over the conversation Kirk was having when he was shot.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience member asked him.
Kirk responded, “Too many.”
Image credits: Charlie Kirk
“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” came the second question.
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” came Kirk’s final answer.
The internet is breathing a collective sigh of relief
Image credits: GURDEEPKAHLON_
Image credits: TimCamp03
Image credits: Ikenna10X
Image credits: MikeCarneyUSA
Image credits: psPetePatel7
Image credits: nelmagene2010
Image credits: lvia_9
Image credits: Totinhiiio
Image credits: heyheyfranciele
Image credits: Drob8594
Image credits: iknowhodidit