Man Armed at Charlie Kirk Memorial Service Venue Faces Charges
As a massive security operation was under way for Sunday’s funeral service for assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, police announced the arrest of a man who was detained Friday for carrying weapons in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Kirk’ s funeral is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Arizona time Sunday, according to Newsweek. President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Kirk’s widow Erika, and other high-profile conservatives are expected to be among the speakers.
The funeral has been designated as a top-level security event comparable to the Super Bowl or the Boston Marathon, according to ABC.
MAXIMUM PROTECTION: Charlie Kirk’s funeral is receiving the highest security designation from federal officials as they are “tracking several threats of unknown credibility,” according to a new report. pic.twitter.com/yQnxl6Twhz
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 19, 2025
On Saturday, Joshua Runkles was charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, which is a felony, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said, according to Fox News. Runkles was also charged with a misdemeanor – carrying a weapon into a prohibited place, which is a misdemeanor.
Runkles was released on bond.
“An investigation is ongoing to determine his intent and purpose at the stadium,” a representative of the department said.
“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,” what Fox called a federal source said.
Secret Service representative Anthony Guglielmi said the 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 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 said.
Turning Point USA later issued a statement said the incident was not “nefarious,” but that “coordination” with law enforcemnt was lacking.
I want to add a note of clarity here. This individual was doing advance security for a known guest planning to attend the memorial service tomorrow. We do not believe this person was attempting anything nefarious, however the advance was not done in proper coordination with the… https://t.co/i6YvnMUog1
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) September 20, 2025
According to ABC, a memo from federal agencies said threats are in the wind.
“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,” according to the memo from agencies including the FBI; Deptartment of Homeland Security; Secret Service; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The agencies revealed they are “tracking several threats of unknown credibility.”
The agencies said that there is no verified threat.
As of Saturday afternoon, barricades were erected on streets and the parking lot around the stadium, as noted by The New York Times.
Jose Miguel Santiago, a spokesman for Glendale police, said Turning Point USA has indicated more than 200,000 people registered for the event being held in a stadium that at most can hold about 73,000 people. The designated overflow venue, the Desert Diamond Arena, can pack in about 19,000 people.
Turning Point has said no bags are allowed into the stadium and to expect “T.S.A.-level screening” accompanied by long wait times.

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