Two people spray-painted a Charlie Kirk memorial statue and tried to set a nearby poster on fire before fleeing Turning Point USA’s Phoenix headquarters, police said.
The vandalism occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Sept. 13, according to Cmdr. Mercedes Fortune, a spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department. Security personnel notified officers at about 8:30 a.m., she said.
Officers responded and documented the damage. Detectives continued investigating, and police had made no arrests as of Sept. 14.
Turning Point USA previously said it was reviewing footage and working with law enforcement to identify those responsible.
Anyone with information may contact Phoenix police at 602-262-6151 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. Spanish-speaking callers may contact 480-TESTIGO.
Charlie Kirk statue cleaned after vandalism
By the morning of Sept. 14, the bronze statue stood clean again, with almost no trace of the red paint aside from residue where the statue’s hand held a “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” hat.
Several bouquets of flowers and American flags rested at the statue’s feet.
Two large posters of Kirk nearby also stood free of the graffiti that had covered them. It was not immediately clear whether someone had cleaned or replaced the posters.
“May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior,” the posters read.
The organization unveiled the 8-foot statue on Sept. 10, one year after Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University.
Turning Point wants Hobbs to weigh in
Turning Point leaders called on Gov. Katie Hobbs and other Democratic elected officials to condemn the vandalism on their campus. The conservative group has endorsed Hobss' opponent, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona.
“Why haven't we heard from Katie Hobbs or anyone with a D next to their name after Charlie's statue was vandalized?” Turning Point spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said on X.
It was not clear who committed the crime or what their political affiliation may be on Sept. 14. Kolvet said he believed the suspect could be a Democratic activist. There were at least six visible security cameras near the statue.
“We are working with law enforcement and pulling video from neighboring buildings. We want these people arrested,” he said.
Visitor returns to restored Charlie Kirk memorial
Troy Valdez, 37, of Surprise, works near Turning Point USA’s headquarters in the Ahwatukee Foothills.
He walked to the memorial on the morning of Sept. 14 after seeing images of the vandalism online.
“I saw it on social media and just wanted to see if it was still graffitied. I’m glad it wasn’t,” Valdez said. “I’m a Charlie Kirk fan, so I kind of felt against it. Like, I get it, you’re kind of sharing your views, but what’s the point?”
Valdez described himself as conservative and said he appreciated the way Kirk spoke up for white men and said "everyone's responsible for their outcome in life."
“I feel like he really stood up for me and my voice,” Valdez said.
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Stephanie Murray covers national politics and the Trump administration for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She co-hosts “The Gaggle,” The Republic’s weekly politics podcast. Reach her at stephanie.murray@usatodayco.com, on X and TikTok @stephanie_murr and on Instagram @stephaniemurray.news.
Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Paint gone, 2 sought in Charlie Kirk statue vandalism
