By Rajwa Quasim
A newly built statue in memory of slain far-right activist Charlie Kirk has been vandalized with red spray paint outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona. The bronze statue was unveiled on Sept. 10 to mark the first anniversary of his death.
The statue was found damaged Sunday morning, according to Phoenix Police. Red spray paint was sprayed on Kirk’s face and neck, as well as on a nearby memorial sign.
Turning Point USA, the organization he co-founded, said in a statement on X, “We will restore the statue and replace the signs, but we are also reviewing the footage of the incident and are working with law enforcement to identify who did this and hold them accountable. But vandalism like this is not funny, it’s diabolical. The incident happened in the middle of the night because evil never sleeps. Beyond spray painting on the neck and face, they made the intentional decision to cross out the name of Jesus on a nearby sign.”
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Turning Point USA Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer shared photographs of the damage on social media, condemning the incident. Police are investigating the incident, and no suspect has been publicly identified so far. The organization believes that the placement of paint on the statue’s neck was deliberate, as Kirk was shot in the same spot.
The statue at the organization’s headquarters in Phoenix is eight feet tall and depicts Kirk wearing a shirt associated with his public appearances.
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Kirk, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University. Republicans paid tribute to Kirk with a five-minute video at a Dallas basketball arena on the second night of President Donald Trump’s midterm convention last week. Vice President JD Vance was among those who praised Kirk’s political influence and his efforts to spread conservative ideologies among youths. Vance said to Kirk’s kids at the event, “History will record that your father was a great man.”
The vandalism incident comes as the case against Kirk’s accused killer, Tyler Robinson, moves through the courts. Earlier this month, Robinson pleaded not guilty to murder charges. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of murder charges at trial. The prosecution argued that “a mountain of evidence” is present, along with a video of the accused on campus on the day of the incident that could prove the accused was the shooter.