Russell Kim Kennington was arrested after allegedly sneaking past two sets of yellow crime scene tape and ignoring clear “Crime/Police/Do Not Cross” warnings to enter the main area where conservative leader Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University.
Wearing a white lab coat, the 38-year-old approached the university’s Woodbury Building and began photographing evidence at the site before detectives stopped him. He admitted to filming the scene, saying he was “reminiscing,” but investigators found a selfie he had taken inside the restricted crime scene on his phone. Despite claiming he was trying not to “disturb” law enforcement, Kennington crossed multiple crime scene barriers to reach the heart of the investigation.
Video released by KUTV shows Kennington being handcuffed and escorted into an unmarked police vehicle. He now faces charges including suspicion of capital obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, and criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor. Kennington was booked into the Utah County Jail.
Charlie Kirk was speaking to a crowd of roughly 3,000 people during the first stop of his American Comeback Tour when he was shot by a sniper positioned approximately 200 yards away on the Losee Center building. The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was publicly identified on Friday, and the FBI released footage of a suspect fleeing the scene.
Kirk’s death is widely regarded as a politically motivated act of violence that has intensified the already heated national debate about free speech, political violence, and the growing divide in America. In response, many conservative leaders and officials have called for stronger measures to protect public figures and hold those responsible accountable.
The tragedy has united many across the country in mourning, with vigils held nationwide to honor Kirk’s legacy. His body was flown to Arizona aboard Air Force Two, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance, who carried the casket as a sign of respect. President Donald Trump has vowed to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, underscoring the impact Kirk had on conservative politics and American discourse.
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