A memorial statue of Charlie Kirk outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, was vandalised days after it was installed, Al Jazeera reported. The bronze statue and an accompanying sign were defaced with red spray paint, according to Tyler Bowyer, the organisation’s chief operating officer.
Bowyer said the paint crossed the statue’s face and neck and that vandals scratched out references to Jesus and the cross. Turning Point described the incident as a deliberate attack on the memorial and said the damage had been discovered on Sunday morning.
The statue was unveiled on Thursday to mark one year since Kirk’s death. Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point and was a prominent ally of US President Donald Trump, was fatally shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University, according to Al Jazeera.
Phoenix police said they received calls on Sunday about a vandalised memorial outside Turning Point’s headquarters. Turning Point said the vandals appeared to have targeted the statue’s neck, where Kirk was shot in the attack, which was captured on video.
“We will restore the statue and replace the signs,” Turning Point said in a post on X. The organisation added that it was reviewing footage and working with law enforcement to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.
Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Kirk, faces a possible death penalty after pleading not guilty to murder charges earlier this month, Al Jazeera reported. The supplied report gives no information about arrests or suspects in the statue vandalism.