A man armed with a gun and a knife and posing as law enforcement was arrested late Friday at the site of Charlie Kirk’s upcoming memorial in Arizona, authorities said Saturday.
The man was detained at State Farm Stadium in Glendale after falsely telling Secret Service agents he was a member of law enforcement, the agency said in a statement without releasing his name.
“The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,” the statement read in part. “The U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement are investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”
The suspect, later identified by the Arizona Department of Public Safety as Joshua Runkles, 42, was booked on a felony charge of impersonating a peace officer and a misdemeanor charge of carrying a weapon into a prohibited place.
Authorities said the suspect was approached by Secret Service agents after “exhibiting suspicious behavior” inside the stadium, which will hold what’s expected to be a massive memorial service for the late right-wing activist on Sunday.
Kirk, a close ally of President Trump and the founder of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot earlier this month while speaking at Utah Valley University.
The public memorial to honor the slain activist, titled “Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk,” is expected to draw around 100,000 supporters.
Trump — who has called Kirk a “giant of his generation” and said he would would award him a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom — is scheduled to deliver remarks at the event, set to begin at 11 a.m. local time.
He’ll be joined by Kirk’s widow, who was recently named TPUSA’s new CEO, as well as other MAGA figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
With its high-profile speakers and estimated number of attendees, the Department of Homeland Security has designated the memorial service a Level 1 Special Event, the highest possible rating for security planning.
According to a law enforcement memo obtained by ABC News on Thursday, authorities had been “tracking several threats of unknown credibility.”
“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 US government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists and due to major international media attention,” read the bulletin issued by agencies including Homeland Security, the FBI and the ATF.
With News Wire Services
