Just days after it was unveiled, a statue at Turning Point USA’s headquarters honoring late conservative activist Charlie Kirk was found vandalized Sunday morning.
Phoenix police were called to the area near the site of TPUSA’s headquarters just before 9 a.m. after someone reported a defaced memorial.
Turning Point COO Tyler Bowyer says staff arrived to find the damage and immediately called Phoenix Police, who responded and launched an investigation. Bowyer says surveillance cameras at the property captured the vandals on video.
“For there to be such hatred, you know, just on display, it was, it’s pretty jarring,” Bowyer said.
Once police finished their investigation and cleared the scene, Bowyer says workers got to work cleaning the statue.
Jordan Bontke/KNXV
“It was a little bit of elbow grease, but we got it done,” Bowyer said. “That’s really important because so many people have been coming here to celebrate Charlie’s life.”
The statue was unveiled Sept. 10 to mark one year since the TPUSA founder was killed.
Charlie once said we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down. His instinct was always to build, not to destroy.
They thought a bullet would silence my husband’s voice but it only made it louder. They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it… https://t.co/nfMlpsSwKd
— Erika Kirk (@MrsErikaKirk) September 13, 2026
Among those visiting Sunday were John and Dawn Baxter of South Carolina, who said they made a point to stop by the memorial while in town.
“We were here last year in town on business and vacation and participated in this memorial over the couple of days after Charlie’s murder, and it was moving and touching,” John Baxter said. “We just wanted to kind of reconnect again while we were here.”
Baxter said what struck him most during his visits was the broad range of people drawn to the memorial.
“He hadn’t just touched young people; he was touching all generations,” Baxter said. “And that can only help long-term for the message to get out there.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Education Department features banners recognizing Charlie Kirk and historic educators
Bowyer says he hopes the vandalism serves as a reminder of what Kirk stood for, and what he stood against.
“What Charlie stood for was disagreeing respectfully,” Bowyer said. “We hope to see less animosity, less anger, less of these types of acts.”
According to police, the statue and a nearby sign were vandalized with what appeared to be red spray paint. Unreadable words were scrawled on the sign, and a frowning face was drawn on the statue.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact Phoenix police or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS.
This story was originally published by the Scripps News Group in Phoenix.
