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Police at the University of New Mexico (UNM) arrested a man who allegedly tried to steal Turning Point USA signs during a campus tabling event and said that “Kirk got shot in the neck for a reason,” referring to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
A post Thursday from Frontlines TPUSA, the official “on-the-ground national coverage” account for Turning Point USA, shared a video of the incident on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “WATCH: ‘Kirk got shot in the neck for a reason.’ University of New Mexico police arrested a student who attempted to steal signs from a Turning Point USA student tabling event. The student resisted arrest but was ultimately taken into custody.”
In the video of the incident, a masked man argues with people at the Turning Point USA table, objecting to their buttons about criticizing socialism. At one point, when invited to debate his views, the man said, “You’re doing the Kirk bulls—. Kirk got shot in the neck for a reason.”
“Whoa,” a woman replied. “That’s not cool at all. Charlie was a father and a husband.”
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“So are a lot of socialists,” he replied.
The man added that Kirk promoted violence before taking the Turning Point USA signs. The Turning Point USA video is edited, so it’s not clear what transpired before he is seen being arrested by campus police.
In a statement to Digital, Ben Cloutier, executive director of strategic communications for the University of New Mexico, said, “The University of New Mexico is firmly committed to the principles of free speech and values its role as a public square for debate, a marketplace of ideas, and a place to test and challenge competing viewpoints and opinions.”
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Police at the University of New Mexico (UNM) arrested a student who allegedly tried to steal Turning Point USA signs during a campus tabling event and said that “Kirk got shot in the neck for a reason,” referring to slain TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. (Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
Cloutier added that the university “remains dedicated to protecting constitutionally protected expression while ensuring the safety of our campus community.”
Digital reached out to the University of New Mexico Turning Point USA chapter and the University of New Mexico Police for comment.
A memorial for Kirk was held on Sept. 13 on the university’s campus.
The 31-year-old co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University during his American Comeback Tour.
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Charlie Kirk speaks before he is assassinated during Turning Point USA’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
Since Kirk’s death, requests for new TPUSA chapters have surged nationwide.
According to the organization, more than 120,000 students have inquired about launching new high school and college chapters in the weeks since Kirk’s assassination.
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Since Charlie Kirk’s death, requests for new TPUSA chapters have surged nationwide. (Alex Wroblewski / Getty Images)
