Armed man arrested at site of planned memorial service for Charlie Kirk
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Derek Hawkins, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, The Washington Post
Published Sep 20, 2025 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
A cross stands across from the State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, as it prepares to host a memorial service for Charlie Kirk on September 20, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10th while speaking at an event for his "American Comeback Tour" at Utah Valley University. The memorial on Sunday is open to the public, and the program will begin at 11 a.m. with President Donald Trump scheduled to attend.
An armed man claiming to be affiliated with law enforcement was arrested Saturday after entering the Arizona stadium where slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service is set to take place, according to law enforcement officials.
Joshua Runkles was booked on a felony charge of impersonating a peace officer and a misdemeanour charge of carrying a weapon into a prohibited place, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Detention records from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office match the charges and the suspect’s name.
Authorities are not aware of any prior arrests for Runkles, one law enforcement official said. Prosecutors asked for a $5,000 bond but the court set a $500 secured appearance bond plus pretrial services supervision.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter. It was not immediately clear if Runkles had retained a lawyer.
The Secret Service said in a statement late Friday that agents had detained a man who entered State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, earlier in the day and was observed “exhibiting suspicious behaviour.”
When Secret Service personnel approached him, he claimed to be a member of law enforcement and said he was armed, the service said.
“The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event,” the service said. “The U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement are investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”
The apparent unauthorized entry raised security concerns around the memorial scheduled for Sunday. The venue is at capacity and is expected to feature President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and many other administration officials and top aides.
The man had at least one gun and one knife when he was stopped, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the man had not been arrested or charged at the time. He also presented “inactive law enforcement credentials” and told Secret Service agents he was at the site to provide private security, the official said.
A spokesperson for the Glendale Police Department referred questions to the Secret Service.
The Department of Homeland Security has made Kirk’s service a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event – a designation that allows the federal government to assign it sweeping security resources, akin to that of a Super Bowl.
Secret Service teams have been on the ground for several days coordinating security with other federal, state and local law enforcement officials, and were expected to begin setting up a perimeter around the stadium Saturday, the law enforcement official said.
Kirk, who founded the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at a college campus in Utah. Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested after a more than day-long search and charged with murder.
A spokesperson for the Glendale Police Department referred questions to the Secret Service.
torontosun.com
youtube.com
