A Charlie Kirk statue has been vandalised with red spray paint outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, days after the memorial was unveiled.
The bronze statue was defaced alongside an accompanying sign, according to Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of the youth-focused organisation Kirk co-founded.
“This morning we woke up to radical criminals vandalizing our Headquarters. Crossing over Charlie’s face, scratching out Jesus and the Cross & spraying red paint on his neck,” Mr Bowyer wrote on X.
The memorial was unveiled on Thursday to mark one year since Kirk’s death. He was fatally shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University.
Turning Point USA said the vandals had deliberately targeted the statue’s neck, the spot where Kirk was shot. The organisation said it was reviewing footage and working with law enforcement to identify those responsible.
“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,” it said in a post on X.
Phoenix police said they received calls on Sunday morning reporting a vandalised memorial outside Turning Point USA’s headquarters.
Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Kirk, pleaded not guilty to murder charges earlier this month and faces a possible death penalty.
