By Editor,Lauren Acton-Taylor
Copyright dailymail
An armed man claiming to be law enforcement has been detained at the site of Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Arizona.
The ‘suspicious’ individual was carrying a gun and a knife when he was apprehended at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Friday, the New York Times reports.
Officials are also, ‘tracking several threats of unknown credibility’ ahead of the high-profile event on Sunday, ABC News reports.
‘The US. 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,’ Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News Digital.
The man, who is yet to be identified, was approached by Secret Service and said he was a member of law enforcement.
A source close to the matter told the New York Times that he was armed with at least one gun and a knife and presented ‘inactive law enforcement credentials’.
‘The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,’ Guglielmi added.
Kirk, 31, was shot dead on September 10 in front of crowds of students and supporters at Utah Valley University while on his ‘American Comeback’ tour.
The Department of Homeland Security has designated the service as a Level 1 Special Event, the highest possible rating.
It will feature speakers such as President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The service, called Building a Legacy: Remembering Charlie Kirk, is due to begin at 11am local time, with doors open from 8am.
Guests are asked to don their ‘Sunday best’, wearing red, white and blue for the United States.
‘This event is first come, first served based on stadium capacity,’ according to the event’s website.
All guests will be screened with metal detectors upon entry, and patted down as a last resort. Those who do not consent will be denied entry, officials said.
Alcohol, weapons, fireworks, drones, bags and clothing deemed obscene or indecent are all among the long list of prohibited items.
The stadium, home to the NFL Arizona Cardinals, has seating for 63,400 people and can expand to over 73,000 for larger events.
Trump is said to have personally requested the 63,000 capacity home of the Arizona Cardinals to welcome mourners travelling from across the country.
As of Friday, the full list of speakers included Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, Trump and Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr. Tucker Carslon, White House advisor Stephen Miller and Sergio Gor.
Christian singers such as Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Kari Jobe Carnes and Cody Carnes are also set to perform at the service.
Local law enforcement have said their preparations are on a level usually reserved for major sporting events like the Super Bowl.
Glendale’s police chief said his department is deploying ‘every available resource’, bolstered by reinforcements from neighboring jurisdictions.
Bomb squads and tactical units will also be on standby for the event.
Kirk is set to be laid to rest in Phoenix, Arizona. The state is where Kirk lived with is wife, 36, and their two children before his death.
His casket was flown from Utah to Arizona aboard Air Force Two on Thursday, accompanied by JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance, and Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk.
The service is being organized by Turning Point USA, which was co-founded by Kirk when he was a teenager in 2012. His wife, Erika, took on the role of CEO and Chair of the Board following his passing.
The non-profit, which advocates for conservative politics on American campuses, invited fans to celebrate Kirk, ‘an American legend,’ and his ‘remarkable life and enduring legacy.’
Kirk’s death has prompted fierce political debate around upholding free speech and the threat of political violence to American democracy.
His suspected killer Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody on September 12 and appeared in court for the first time by video link on September 17.
Robinson faces seven charges, including aggravated murder and witness tampering. He did not enter a plea to any of the charges on Wednesday.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty ‘based on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime’, they said in a court filing.
Erika Kirk, giving a tearful address after her husband was killed, said: ‘You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.
‘They should all know this: if you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before you have no idea, you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world.’
She has vowed to continue Charlie Kirk’s mission, announcing that their campus tour will continue through autumn.
