The arson of a Loveland resident’s Charlie Kirk memorial Saturday night appears to be politically motivated based on a preliminary investigation, according to an emailed statement from the Loveland Police Department on Monday morning.
The resident whose Kirk memorial was set on fire said he and his family were sleeping when the fire department knocked on his door to notify them. The resident, who didn’t share his full name for personal safety reasons, said he put up a 6-foot-by-3-foot sign on the outside of his fence in front of his home that read “RIP Charlie Kirk / We stand with you” shortly after Kirk died, because he was saddened by his death.
He said that the back window of his vehicle was also smashed with a rock Saturday night. The windshield had “RIP Charlie Kirk” written on it at the time of the incident.
The resident said he felt compelled to put up the sign because the need for “freedom of speech is prevalent more than ever.” And while he knew something could happen, he was not really expecting it to.
Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday at an “American Comeback Tour” event at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s tour was scheduled to stop at Colorado State University this Thursday.
The Loveland Fire and Rescue Authority responded to the scene at 11:45 p.m. Saturday, said Assistant Chief Greg Ward. He said firefighters remained on scene for less than 20 minutes before the incident was turned over to the Loveland Police Department. The Loveland Reporter-Herald is not printing the address of the home for safety reasons.
The Loveland Police Department call log shows an arson report at 11:54 p.m., and department spokesperson Chris Padgett confirmed the report made was in relation to the memorial site. Officers arrived within minutes of the 911 call, a afternoon about the incident stated. The post added that an arson investigator also arrived at the scene.
“We have a detective working this incident. Follow-up is being made with local businesses, residents and all credible leads,” Padgett said in the email.
He added that the victim is cooperating with the police department and that the act appears to be politically motivated based on the preliminary investigation.
In the post on X, Loveland police Chief Tim Doran stated, “Detectives will relentlessly pursue this case until the culprit is apprehended. What is particularly troubling about this incident is the chilling effect this arsonist is attempting to impact on free speech and expression. We will not abide criminal conduct in our city, whether it be Tesla bombing terrorists, those setting fire to memorials like this, or any other heinous offenses in between. The Loveland Police Department is committed to protecting and serving our residents without favor or bias.”
The resident and his friend spent Sunday morning rebuilding his fence with fire-retardant wood, he said, adding that he also sprayed new signs with retardant. A neighbor dropped off a sign that the resident put on his fence, saying he felt that, if he didn’t put the sign back, “they would win, and I didn’t feel like that was right.”
The police department urged anyone with information to reach out to the department at (970) 667-2151 or Larimer County Crime Stoppers at (970) 221-6868 in the post.
