LOVELAND, Colo. (KDVR) — Vandals burned a Loveland family’s memorial to Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on Wednesday, Sept. 10, during a tour event at Utah Valley University.
The family is not releasing their location or full names due to concern for their safety. They told FOX31 the vandals set the fence on fire at approximately 11:15 p.m. as five children slept inside the home.
“When they burnt that fence, that fire could’ve went into that house and it could’ve really harmed somebody,” said one family friend.
The vandals also smashed the back window of the family’s SUV.
“It’s the rhetoric, it’s what people are being fed, there’s so much hate in this world and we need to stop,” said the children’s father.
Friends rushed to show the family support.
“I saw the damage they had done to my friend, and it just ruined me,” said Chelsea Turner.
The family told FOX31 they have many neighbors described as liberal and democratic who embraced them after learning of the crime against their property.
“This is not a republican democrat thing, that’s not what this is about, it’s to our First Amendment our freedom of speech,” said the owner of the home.
The family spent time cleaning up glass left from the SUV’s broken window and repainting the memorial on Sunday.
“We have to wake up, it’s not right and left, it’s not blue and red, it’s bigger than all that,” said the children’s father.
Friends, neighbors and other family members told FOX31 they hope everyone will adopt a better way to express differences regardless of political affiliation.
“When we quit communicating with each other, when we stop the dialogue, then we just dehumanize each other,” said one family friend.
Friends have set up a GoFundMe.
https://kdvr.com/news/local/loveland-familys-memorial-to-charlie-kirk-burned/