Illinois State University teaching assistant Derek Lopez was arrested after he was caught on camera destroying a Turning Point USA informational table on campus, police said.
The incident transpired on the school’s campus on Friday, when Lopez approached conservative activists with Turning Point USA, stating, “Well, you know, if Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it, right?”
Watch Below:
“What do you mean?” one Turning Point USA activist asked, to which the 27-year-old teaching assistant bizarrely reiterated, “Jesus did it.”
“He did what?” the seemingly confused Turning Point USA activist inquired, at which point Lopez stated, “He did this,” before pulling a banner that had been draped over the TPUSA informational table, knocking its contents to the ground.
Near the end of the video, Lopez was seen ripping a Turning Point USA flyer off a wall as he walked away from the scene.
An Illinois State spokesperson told Breitbart News, “The University recognizes the diverse perspectives represented on our campus. We expect everyone to listen and respond to opposing views with civility.”
The school further pointed Breitbart News to an update provided by university police, which disclosed that Lopez was arrested “on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Damage to Property” on Friday, “after an investigation by the Illinois State University Police Department.”
Normal, IL – On October 17, 2025, after an investigation by the Illinois State University Police Department (ISUPD),…
Posted by Illinois State University Police Department on Saturday, October 18, 2025
“Lopez is a graduate student and teaching assistant at Illinois State University,” the police department continued in its statement.
“Over the last week Lopez is alleged to have disrupted two informational tabling events being hosted by a registered student organization,” authorities added. “ISUPD was contacted by the registered student organization following the escalation leading to an investigation, identification, and arrest.”
“This case is pending and may be grounds for additional charges and University disciplinary action,” the Illinois State University Police Department said.
Chief Aaron Woodruff added, “We are committed to protecting the First Amendment rights as well as safety of everyone in our campus community.”
“We encourage all members of our community to learn more about free speech rights and responsibilities at Illinois State University, including constructive ways to respond when encountering speech they may disagree with,” Woodruff said.
Notably, the attack against Turning Point USA activists at Illinois State comes after the organization’s founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated on September during a speaking event at Utah Valley University.
Kirk’s murder rattled the world, sparking an outpouring of grief for the Turning Point USA founder, who had become a martyr for free speech after he was assassinated while trying to have an open and respectful dialogue with a student on a college campus.
Reactions from leftists, meanwhile, sent a second shockwave throughout the globe, as people were able to witness firsthand the shocking depravity and degradation of society via what was also a major mask-off and watershed moment: the left celebrating and justifying the assassination of a free speech martyr — simply because his views had differed from their own.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
