A man dressed in a white lab coat was arrested Thursday for allegedly sneaking into the area where Charlie Kirk was assassinated, telling police he was “reminiscing and filming the scene.”
Russell Kim Kennington — who officials say is not a suspect in Kirk’s murder — crossed two sets of yellow crime scene tape at Utah Valley University campus before officers discovered he snapped a selfie and took photos of the area and investigators, KUTV reported.
When police ordered Kennington, 38, to identify himself, he allegedly fled but was eventually caught after a short pursuit.
“There was two sets of yellow crime scene tape up that Russell would have to of crossed to make it to the main incident crime scene,” the affidavit, obtained by KUTV, stated.
Video obtained by the outlet shows the crime scene intruder being escorted in handcuffs by authorities into the back of an unmarked police vehicle.
Following his arrest, Kennington identified himself and told police he was “reminiscing and filming the scene.”
The alleged prowler said that he entered the active crime scene by “following the shadows” and was attempting to avoid detection, so as not to “disturb” the ongoing investigation.
Cops said they found a selfie the 38-year-old had snapped at the scene after accessing his phone.
Kennington was arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail.
He has been charged with suspicion of capital obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, and criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor, according to the outlet.
Kirk was addressing an audience of around 3,000 people at the inaugural stop for his nationwide American Comeback Tour when he was fatally shot by a sniper, who was perched on the Losee Center building, around 200 yards away.
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He was about 20 minutes into the event, answering a question about mass shootings by transgender people in the US, when the tragedy unfolded.
The person of interest in Kirk’s assassination was still at large on Thursday evening.
New footage released by the FBI on Thursday showed the alleged assassin jumping off his rooftop sniper’s den after killing Kirk during the activist’s famed “Prove Me Wrong” debate.
Kirk leaves behind his wife, former Miss Arizona Erika Frantzve, and two young children.
Vice President JD Vance arranged for Kirk’s body to be flown out of Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base in Salt Lake City aboard Air Force 2 back to his home state of Arizona on Thursday.
The vice president and second lady, Usha Vance, accompanied the political activist’s widow, family, and friends on the flight, landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport later that day.
Kirk’s wooden casket was then transferred by hearse to Phoenix’s Hansen Mortuary Chapel.
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