‘Suspicious behavior’ leads to armed man being taken into custody ahead of Charlie Kirk memorial

Heightened security ahead of Charlie Kirk’s memorial is already investigating “suspicious behavior” leading to the detention of an armed man who claimed to be private security.

In case it weren’t enough that multiple attempts had been made on President Donald Trump’s life last year ahead of his attendance at Sunday’s memorial at State Farm Stadium, leftists have more than demonstrated an unwillingness to let mourners peaceably remember the assassinated Christian patriot with their ghoulish behavior.

Adding to the celebrations on social media and confrontations at vigils across the nation in memory of Kirk, Fox News Digital had confirmed with U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi that a man had been taken into custody after admitting to being armed while claiming to be a member of law enforcement.

“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,” Guglielmi had said. “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.”

Likewise, The New York Times reported that the man was armed with at least one firearm and one knife. It was also reported that the suspect had claimed to be hired as private security for the stadium and had presented “inactive law enforcement credentials.”

Further details were provided by a federal source familiar with the investigation, who told Fox News, “This guy is a former deputy sheriff out of Idaho. 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.”

As had been reported, given the nature of the event and the attendance of Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other high-profile figures, it had been designated a “Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event” by the Department of Homeland Security, thus affording federal law enforcement the maximum resources necessary.

Already, those resources were said to be at work reviewing “several threats of unknown credibility” as attendees were set to fill both State Farm Stadium and the overflow venue next door, Desert Diamond Arena, reaching a combined capacity of nearly 100,000.

Super Bowl-level security for Charlie Kirk memorial amid threats to attendees https://t.co/qf8sj2cxfx via @BIZPACReview

— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) September 20, 2025

On top of the abhorrent behavior already displayed by those reveling in Kirk’s assassination, Hall of Fame radio host Glenn Beck had recounted that, for the first time in decades of broadcasting, he had been forced to evacuate the studio at Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday during his broadcast ahead of guest-hosting Kirk’s podcast when a bomb threat had been called in.

“Satan thinks that he still can win,” said Beck as KYMA had reported that bomb disposal units had been called to investigate the bag, later deemed safe. “And the more he pushes, the brighter the light is going to get.”

Glenn Beck shares that during his earlier radio broadcast today, he had to move buildings after someone left a package outside and issued a bomb threat. pic.twitter.com/WxU0EQZrRQ

— Salem News Channel (@WatchSalemNews) September 17, 2025

Meanwhile, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell had addressed the likelihood of protests on Sunday in a statement with a reminder about First Amendment rights.

“This moment calls for Maricopa County to step up and show the nation–and the world–that we value dignity, civility, and the rule of law,” she said. “We can be role models that even in times of grief and disagreement, our community is united in its commitment to free speech without violence or lawlessness.”

Expecting the best, but planning for the worst, Mitchell went on to state, “Let me be clear: my office will defend the rights of those who come to mourn or protest peacefully. Anyone who chooses to break the law–through violence, destruction of property, or obstruction–will be held accountable. Let us honor Charlie Kirk’s memory and the blessings of liberty not with division or disruption, but with peace and respect for others.”

Please see my statement on Charlie Kirk’s memorial happening on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/wj0GfPuX9s

— Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (@Rachel1Mitchell) September 19, 2025

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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