Burning of tribute to Charlie Kirk in Northern Colorado investigated by police as arson
A Colorado man says a memorial he erected to conservative activist Charlie Kirk after Kirk's killing last week was burned and destroyed. Now, Loveland police and fire officials are investigating it as an act of arson, the Loveland Police Department said.
Police said on Monday that the memorial was burned just before midnight on Saturday in the 200 block of East 23rd Street. A cloth sign draped over a resident's fence on that street read "RIP Charlie Kirk, we stand with you." In addition to the sign being burned, a rock was thrown through the rear windshield of a vehicle parked at the home, Loveland police say.
Firefighters extinguished the flames, and arson investigators started looking into the incident. Police began interviewing neighbors, but do not have any information about a suspect or suspects as of Monday.
"Detectives will relentlessly pursue this case until the culprit is apprehended," Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran said in a written statement on Monday. "What is particularly troubling about this incident is the chilling effect this arsonist is attempting to impact on free speech and expression. We will not abide criminal conduct in our city, whether it be Tesla bombing terrorists, those setting fire to memorials like this, or any other heinous offenses in between. The Loveland Police Department is committed to protecting and serving our residents without favor or bias."
Kirk was shot and killed at a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday. The 31-year-old cofounder of Turning Point USA was popular among young conservatives and frequently held speaking events where people were invited to ask him questions and debate him, often on college campuses.
On Friday, officials said they had a suspect in custody, who they identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, of Washington County, Utah.
Robinson turned himself in at the urging of his father and was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, according to an inmate booking sheet from the Utah County Sheriff's Office. Formal charges from the Utah County Attorney's Office are expected on Tuesday.
Kirk was a close ally of President Trump, a friend of Vice President JD Vance, and a prominent advocate for a variety of conservative causes. His death elicited responses and reactions from public officials, sports teams, celebrities, and other supporters.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," Trump wrote. "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us."
The day after his killing, the president ordered flags to be flown at half-staff to commemorate Kirk's death and the anniversary of the attacks of 9/11.
Kirk was on a Turning Point USA tour, dubbed "The American Comeback Tour," at the time of his killing. Kirk's wife, Erika Kirk, said the tour will continue after her husband's killing. The next stop on the tour is at Colorado State University, which is scheduled for Thursday, but it was unclear if it would, in fact, continue, in what form, and who would host it.
