Staff Reports
A chilling episode unfolded at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2025, when authorities detained a man identified as 42-year-old Joshua Runkles after he was found inside the venue ahead of Charlie Kirk’s public memorial. The U.S. Secret Service and Arizona Department of Public Safety intercepted Runkles after reports that he was claiming to be law enforcement while armed. Officials say he was in possession of multiple weapons, including a loaded pistol, a revolver, and several knives, and was booked on charges including impersonating an officer and carrying a weapon in a prohibited area.
This is not a time for soft words or excuses — this is a red alert for every American who believes in public safety and the rule of law. Just ten days earlier, conservative leader Charlie Kirk was senselessly gunned down while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, a crime that shocked our nation and left grieving families and communities in its wake. Now, with a national memorial scheduled for September 21, the safety of hundreds of thousands of mourners and prominent conservative figures was put at risk by a man pretending to be someone he was not.
Turning Point USA has said the individual claimed to be conducting an advance security sweep for a guest but had not coordinated with the group or the Secret Service, which raises serious questions about access protocols. How does a man allegedly wearing expired credentials or claiming a badge make it past initial checks and end up inside the stadium with multiple weapons? Conservatives have long warned that security theater and bureaucratic gaps put innocent Americans in harm’s way — what we saw in Glendale is proof those warnings are not theoretical.
We should be grateful the Secret Service and local law enforcement acted decisively, but gratitude must be coupled with accountability. Impersonating a police officer is not a harmless prank; it’s a deliberate act that undermines trust in real law enforcement and can be a prelude to catastrophe. Law enforcement and event organizers must tighten vetting, share manifests, and enforce no-exceptions policies for anyone claiming official status without verified credentials.
There’s also a disturbing double standard in our national conversation. When conservatives gather to mourn or rally, we get hand-wringing and political calculation from elites, not the common-sense, ironclad security that such high-profile events demand. If you expect a crowd of elected officials, presidents, and tens of thousands of citizens to assemble, you must treat that day as sacrosanct — and anyone who claims to be protecting people must be verified beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Americans who love liberty and law-and-order must also insist on justice that fits the danger. Charges were filed and, according to reports, a small bond was set — but the message must be clear: impersonating law enforcement and bringing weapons into a restricted mass-gathering will be met with the full force of the law. Weak penalties and lax enforcement only encourage copycats and put future events and lives at risk.
Finally, in the midst of anger and vigilance, we must remember why we’re here — to honor a fallen patriot and stand strong against intimidation. Pray for Charlie Kirk’s family and for everyone attending the memorial on September 21, 2025, and demand that our leaders stop treating security as an afterthought. We will not be silenced by violence, and we will not allow criminals or pretenders to terrorize our gatherings or our way of life.
