Armed Man Arrested at Arizona Stadium Before Charlie Kirk Memorial

An armed man was detained at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday after attempting to enter the venue while carrying a tactical knife, at least one firearm, and presenting inactive law enforcement credentials. The man claimed to be affiliated with law enforcement and said he was providing private security, but he was not authorized to be at the event, which is the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The memorial service is expected to draw over 100,000 attendees, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other top administration officials, prompting the Secret Service to assign a high-level security designation to the event. Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University, an event that has heightened concerns about political violence in the U.S. The detained individual is currently in custody but has not been arrested or charged, and investigations by the Secret Service and local law enforcement are ongoing to determine his motives and circumstances. The high-profile memorial service is being closely guarded due to the presence of numerous VIPs and the large expected crowd.