Man arrested for allegedly vandalizing Kirk memorial at Turning Point USA HQ James Powel, Rey Covarrubias Jr.
- - Man arrested for allegedly vandalizing Kirk memorial at Turning Point USA HQ
James Powel, Rey Covarrubias Jr., Kathryn Palmer and Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY September 14, 2025 at 7:18 PM
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Phoenix police have arrested a man alleged to have vandalized a memorial for Charlie Kirk at the headquarters of Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded.
Ryder Corral, 19, is set to face multiple charges – including criminal damage and disorderly conduct – in connection to the incident Sgt. Phil Krynsky, a spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department, said in a media advisory.
Police responded to the southern Phoenix neighborhood where the headquarters are located at around 9:50 a.m. local time on Sept. 14 after witnesses saw a man damaging a memorial for Kirk, who was fatally shot four days earlier in Utah, Krynsky said.
1 / 22Charlie Kirk remembered in memorials: Conservative activist was shot while speaking in UtahSupporters visit a memorial for Charlie Kirk at the Turning Point Headquarters in Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025.Video shows arrest of man seen vandalizing the memorial
A video taken by Fox News shows Corral allegedly walking through the memorial and knocking over vases with flowers in the process before he is thrown to the ground by another man. Several police officers are seen quickly swarming around Corral before he is placed in handcuffs.
Krynsky confirmed to the Arizona Republic, a part of the USA TODAY Network, that the video depicted the arrest of Corral.
"Officers were in the area to assist with traffic control due to a large community presence in the area following recent events," Krynsky said.
In the footage, Corral was seen wearing a shirt with a design on the chest that resembled the shirt worn by Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Kirk, in photos shared before Robinson was arrested.
It is unclear at the time of publication if Corral has legal representation.
Kirk investigation, memorial: Utah governor says suspect in Charlie Kirk slaying is not cooperating with authorities
Turning Point USA gets surge of chapter requests following Kirk's death
Supporters visit a memorial for Charlie Kirk at the Turning Point Headquarters in Phoenix on Sept. 11, 2025.
A Turning Point USA spokesperson said in a social media post that the organization has been deluged with requests to start new campus chapters for high schools and colleges in the days following Charlie Kirk's death.
Andrew Kolvet said in a post on X early Sunday, Sept. 14, that the group has received more than 32,000 inquiries in 48 hours to start new campus chapters.
Turning Point USA says it currently has about 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters.
The organization was founded by Kirk in 2012 and has since become a prominent right-wing political force. Along with its presence on hundreds of college and high school campuses, it hosts conferences, encourages youth organizing on conservative issues and produces various media such as the "The Charlie Kirk Show."
The group and Kirk have been closely aligned with the MAGA movement and are credited with helping mobilize support for President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.
Much of its power comes from its connection with young voters, and Kirk long argued that his organization's chapters were necessary to combat "woke" classroom ideology. Kirk often held rallies and debates for students.
He was at Utah Valley University on the first stop of "The American Comeback Tour" when he was killed by a single gunshot on Wednesday, Sept. 10, while speaking in front of some 3,000 people.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charlie Kirk memorial vandalized in Phoenix, man arrested
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