Russell Kim Kennington arrested for entering Charlie Kirk assassination crime scene at Utah Valley University

A man dressed in a white lab coat was arrested on Thursday for allegedly trespassing into the area where Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University. Russell Kim Kennington, 38, was caught taking photos and filming the crime scene, although officials confirmed he is not a suspect in Kirk’s murder. Kennington crossed two sets of yellow crime scene tape before being apprehended by police, who found a selfie he had taken at the scene on his phone.

Following his arrest, Kennington admitted to police that he was “reminiscing and filming the scene,” claiming he entered the active crime scene by “following the shadows” to avoid detection and not disturb the ongoing investigation. He was charged with suspicion of capital obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, and criminal trespass, a class B misdemeanor, and booked into the Utah County Jail.

Charlie Kirk was fatally shot by a sniper during an event at Utah Valley University, where he was speaking to an audience of around 3,000 people. The person of interest in Kirk’s assassination was still at large, with new footage released by the FBI showing the alleged assassin jumping off his rooftop sniper’s den after killing Kirk.

Kirk, who leaves behind his wife and two young children, had his body flown back to his home state of Arizona with Vice President JD Vance arranging for the transport. The vice president and second lady accompanied Kirk’s widow, family, and friends on the flight, landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport before transferring his casket to Phoenix’s Hansen Mortuary Chapel. The investigation into Kirk’s assassination continues as authorities search for the perpetrator responsible for the tragic event.