A man who authorities say was armed and falsely claimed to be law enforcement was arrested Friday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona — the site of Sunday’s memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
But the organization hosting the event now says the individual was private security.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety says 42-year-old Joshua Runkles was arrested after law enforcement observed him acting suspiciously near the stadium.
More than 100,000 people are anticipated to descend onto the area Sunday for Kirk's public memorial. President Donald Trump and other members of his administration are expected to either speak or be in attendance. In preparation, the Secret Service has been conducting sweeps in the area this week.
A department spokesman said Runkles faces one felony charge for impersonating a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor for carrying a weapon into a prohibited place.
In a post on social media, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, the group Kirk founded, says Runkles was performing advance security for a guest attending the event but did not properly coordinate with the host group or U.S. Secret Service.
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
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