An armed man was detained at State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Friday, where Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s memorial service is set to take place on Sunday, after falsely claiming to be a member of law enforcement, according to the United States Secret Service.
According to a statement from Anthony Guglielmi, Chief of Communications for the Secret Service, the man was arrested after being found in possession of firearms and knives and displaying suspicious behavior. Guglielmi noted that the individual falsely identified himself as a member of law enforcement before being taken into custody.
Kirk was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah last Wednesday afternoon. Police have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in the slaying and he is currently being held without bail in the Utah County Jail. Prosecutors filed a capital murder charge on Tuesday against Robinson and will seek the death penalty.
“The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,” the Secret Service said in a statement adding, “The U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement are investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”
The arrest has increased security measures for the memorial event on Sunday for Kirk. The stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, has a capacity of up to 73,000 people. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several cabinet members are scheduled to speak at the event.
The Department of Homeland Security has designated the memorial a top-level security event, due to the high anticipated turnout and the dignitaries attending, similar to the Super Bowl or the New York Marathon.
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