Charlie Kirk memorial at Turning Point USA HQ in Phoenix destroyed, suspect arrested
Man accused of vandalizing Charlie Kirk memorial
A 19-year-old man arrested in Phoenix is accused of vandalizing a memorial dedicated to Charlie Kirk outside of the non-profit Turning Point USA headquarters the conservative commentator founded.
PHOENIX - A memorial at Turning Point USA's headquarters in Phoenix for slain political activist Charlie Kirk was destroyed, and the man suspected of doing it was arrested.
What we know:
It happened on Sunday, Sept. 14, at around 9:50 a.m. at the headquarters near 48th Street and Baseline Road.
"Officers were directed to a man who was seen damaging a community memorial in front of a business near 48th Street and Beverly Road. Officers were in the area to assist with traffic control due to a large community presence in the area following recent events," said Phoenix Police Sgt. Phil Krynsky.
The suspect is Ryder Corral, 19. Witnesses detained him until officers arrested him.
"Corral will be booked on multiple charges to include criminal damage and disorderly conduct," Sgt. Krynsky said.
READ MORE: When is Charlie Kirk's funeral? All we know so far
Suspect accused of destroying Charlie Kirk memorial in Phoenix
Phoenix Police say Ryder Corral, 19, destroyed a memorial for Charlie Kirk at the Phoenix headquarters for Turning Point USA on Sept. 14. The suspect was reportedly taken down by witnesses before officers took him into custody.
Dig deeper:
Corral was caught on camera being taken down by witnesses, then being arrested. He appeared to be wearing the same shirt as Tyler Robinson on Sept. 10, the 22-year-old man accused of shooting and killing Kirk at Utah Valley University.
What they're saying:
Charlie Kirk supporters react to suspect damaging memorial
At Turning Point USA's HQ in Phoenix on Sunday morning, a man is accused of damaging the memorial for the nonprofit's founder, Charlie Kirk. He was gunned down at a Utah college campus on Sept. 10. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean hears from supporters.
"He wore the same shirt as the shooter did, and he was walking down, he had some kind of body cam device … he had a phone, I think he was recording himself because he was talking to himself, so I'm assuming he was recording himself. He was saying a lot of hateful things towards Charlie, that I don't want to reiterate, so me and the officer were staring at him, and I was like, 'This guy's going to do something,'" a supporter named Kyle Nickels said.
Another supporter said, "We were just in complete shock that this was happening over here because this is supposed to be peaceful, and it's not supposed to be any kind of craziness happening at this time."
Charlie Kirk: Man who damaged memorial wears same shirt as alleged shooter
The man accused of damaging a memorial for Charlie Kirk at Turning Point USA's headquarters in Phoenix appears to have been wearing the same T-shirt Kirk's alleged assassin wore when he pulled the trigger on Sept. 10.
"It's just heartbreaking. We want to show our support. Even those who engage in violence, we love them, and we forgive them, and we want to win them for Christ," a supporter said.
Others who showed up to show support for Kirk say the incident does not stop the message they're spreading.
"I've been in 33 states with the cross, and I've been in a lot of tragic situations. I've never felt anything like this before. I've never felt this much love," said supporter Dan Beazley.
Map of where the incident took place