An armed man was detained Friday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, the site of Charlie Kirk’s upcoming memorial service, after allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer, the U.S. Secret Service said.
The Secret Service said Friday the man was arrested after “exhibiting suspicious behavior ahead of Sunday’s memorial service. The event is expected to draw President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other senior officials.
According to The New York Times, citing a law enforcement official, the man was carrying at least one gun and a knife and presented “inactive law enforcement credentials” to authorities. He reportedly claimed to be working as a private security guard, though investigators have found no evidence he was authorized to do so, said the report.
“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 on Friday following the arrest. “The U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement are investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”
The Department of Homeland Security has classified the upcoming funeral and memorial service for Kirk as a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) Level 1 event. This designation is the same security classification applied to major events like the Super Bowl and the Boston Marathon, according to a DHS official speaking with ABC News.
SEAR 1 events are “reserved for events of the highest national significance and enable the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event,” the DHS official said, per the outlet.
Trump, along with several cabinet members, is expected to attend the service at the stadium which is home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. William Mack, a Secret Service Special Agent and the head of the Phoenix field office, stated that the agency has been assigned as the federal coordinator for the funeral.
“Our teams are already on the ground in Phoenix and Glendale, working side-by-side with state, local, and federal partners,” Mack told reporters. “Together, we are fully committed to ensuring that these solemn events receive the comprehensive protection and support they require.”
Officers from the Glendale Police Department in Arizona will assist with the service. “We will not be surprised if more than 100,000 people show up,” said Jose Santiago, public information officer for the Glendale Police Department.
Officials anticipate that mourners will travel from all over the country, with some expected to line up as early as 2 a.m. on Sunday for the first-come, first-served service. Parking will open at 7 a.m. local time, and camping in the area will not be allowed.
“Officers will be anywhere the eye can see, and in places it can’t,” said Santiago, referring to aircraft, many drones in the air, and helicopters at the ready, per ABC News.
Kirk, 31, the co-founder of conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking to students at Utah Valley University in Orem.
His assassination renewed concerns about rising political violence in the U.S., coming just months after then-presumptive Republican presidential nominee Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt in July 2024.
Prosecutors say Trump survived a second assassination attempt in September 2024. Ryan Routh, 59, has been charged in that case and has pleaded not guilty.
Turning Point USA announced Thursday that Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, was unanimously elected as the organization’s new CEO and chair of its board of directors.
“In prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death,” the organization said in a post on X.