EXCLUSIVE: Protester allegedly brandishes brass knuckles toward Charlie Kirk memorial attendees

A Charlie Kirk vigil at Susquehanna University was disrupted by protesters, who vandalized messages honoring the late Kirk by erasing them.

A senior studying political science, who asked for his name to be redacted, explained to Campus Reform that “video footage appeared to show individuals pouring water over chalk messages left at the vigil site.” 

“These messages included Bible verses and expressions of hope,” the senior continued. 

One such message read “All he did was speak.” Photographs obtained by Campus Reform clearly show the message defaced with splashes of water. 

A chalk message reading “All he did was speak,” defaced by protesters.

Another chalk message attacked by anti-Kirk protesters was a verse from the book of Romans. “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose,” the verse read. Protesters partially erased this message with water as well. 

“To many students, this felt like an effort to silence or diminish the grief of their peers,” said the senior. 

A passage from the book of Romans, which protesters partially erased with water. 

The senior, who participated in the vigil, estimated that it was attended by over 100 people. Susquehanna University maintains a yearly enrollment of slightly over 2,000 students. 

[RELATED: Gen Z ‘deeply disturbed’ by Charlie Kirk death because ‘we’re all human’: WATCH]

Word of the Sept. 14 vigil was spread among left-wing activists on anonymous communication app Yik Yak leading up to the event. “Protest ts w signs of all the crazy s**t he said,” posted one user. “Free speech advocate my f***ing a**.” 

Susquehanna College Republicans member Aiden Ehlberg told Campus Reform that he was disappointed and offended by the university’s reaction when the protest boiled over to vandalism. 

“University leadership has continuously ignored the well-being of the conservative community, and yet again their reaction leaned in support of the protestors by calling their confronters ‘aggressive,’” said Ehlberg. 

One student disrupting the messages was photographed holding a sign that read “Susquehanna does not mourn Nazi scum.” 

“This sign did not only spread a hateful rhetoric, but also insulted the Jewish attendees of the vigil, who read the sign in disbelief and disgust,” Ehlberg explained. He concluded his comments by hoping that the university does better to protect conservative students.

According to Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans Chairman Gianni Matteo, the individual who waved the Nazi sign also allegedly threateningly wielded a set of brass knuckles. 

“The student appeared to brandish a pair of brass knuckles, and when an attendee of the vigil chose to film the student the campus security decided to block her footage of the person holding the sign,” Matteo told Campus Reform. 

[RELATED: Kirk was ‘no friend’ of academic freedom, UMich professor claims]

Owning brass knuckles constitutes possession of a prohibited offensive weapon and is illegal under Pennsylvania Title 18 Section 908, according to Zuckerman Law Firm. 

Numerous sources, who have chosen to remain anonymous, confirmed the offending student’s name as Lance Latchford. 

Campus Reform reached out to Latchford multiple times for comment and to confirm his identity, but no response was received by publication. However, Campus Reform obtained exclusive access to video footage of the incident. It is available on YouTube. 

Susquehanna University is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, which is in Snyder County. According to 2024 presidential election results in the state, Snyder County voted for Trump. 

Meanwhile Selinsgrove mayoral candidate Erik Viker bashed the GOP in the weeks prior to Kirk’s assassination. 

”To be clear, Republicans are bad people who worship a corrupt, white supremacist convicted felon and sexual assaulter,” Viker reportedly posted Aug. 26 on Facebook. “They deserve nothing good and can’t be trusted with public policy or shared resources.”

Campus Reform contacted the school for comment but had not heard back by publication. This article will be updated accordingly.