A Florida woman was charged with a felony after authorities say she shoved a 73-year-old organizer to the ground during a vigil for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in The Villages, a Central Florida retirement community.
Courtney Beth Anderson, 56, was booked on a charge of felony battery of a person 65 or older after the incident Sunday, arrest records show. The vigil was held by The Villages MAGA Club at a local medical center, and attendees had gathered to remember Kirk, who was killed last week at a Turning Point USA event.
According to arrest records and a report from Fox affiliate FOX 35 Orlando, Anderson arrived at the solemn gathering "yelling and holding up her middle finger to everyone at the event." Valerie Jamieson, 73, a co-founder of The Villages MAGA Club, told officers she asked Anderson to leave because of her "aggressive and rude behavior," and that Anderson then pushed her. Jamieson said she fell backward and hit her head on concrete. Villages Fire Rescue responded to the scene to render aid, and witnesses described the alleged attack to officers as unprovoked.
Jamieson described the encounter to the outlet, saying, "I walked towards her (Anderson) and I said, 'You're not coming up here, you need to get out of here,' and she just pushed me … I fell back, head hit the concrete. I was so angry." Records provided to police indicate Anderson declined to speak with officers at the scene and invoked her right to counsel. She was released on bond following her arrest.
Court records reviewed by the affiliate show Anderson has two prior convictions from June 2001 for misdemeanor battery. The current charge is a felony because the alleged victim is over 65. Local law enforcement has not released additional details about pending court proceedings.
The incident at The Villages occurred amid heightened tensions and a series of protests and arrests at vigils and memorials held nationwide after Kirk's killing at Utah Valley University. Organizers and some attendees at those events have said they sought to hold peaceful gatherings; in a viral video before his death Kirk urged respectful debate and warned against violence, saying, "What is so important to our country, is to find our disagreements respectfully. When people stop talking, that's when violence happens."
The Villages, often described as one of the largest retirement communities in the world, has been a notable venue for Republican events and drew national attention in 2020 when former President Donald Trump held a rally there that reportedly attracted more than 10,000 supporters. The community has hosted major conservative gatherings, though it also maintains a Democratic Club that had roughly 1,500 members as of January.
Authorities have not indicated any ongoing safety advisories for the community in connection with the vigil. The case remains under investigation and is expected to proceed through the local court system.