Texas authorities have identified the man accused of assaulting students at a Turning Point USA tent Tuesday on the University of Texas at Tyler campus. The incident is the latest reported attack involving the conservative youth organization, whose founder was assassinated last year.
Smith County booking records name the suspect as Ciro Tomlian.
Video from the confrontation shows a man wearing a cape and round-brimmed hat throwing an American flag to the ground before swinging a cane at a group of people.
Authorities said Tomlian is a former student who was not enrolled at the university when the incident occurred.
Tomlian faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of assault causing bodily injury. He is accused of striking Turning Point USA students with the cane.
The video captures the end of the confrontation and Tomlian’s arrest by campus police. In the footage, he picks up an American flag and throws it over his shoulder, makes an obscene gesture toward the students and says, “Back the f–k off you fascist pieces of s–t.”
A woman who is off-camera tells him to “stay away.” Tomlian then raises the cane and takes a swinging motion in her direction.
Tomlian shouts “back up!” again as the woman tells another person to “just back up.”
A male voice, also off-camera, then tells Tomlian, “No one’s scared of you.”
Tomlian swings the cane again, apparently hitting the speaker, before another person rushes in and takes the weapon from him. Officers arrive moments later and place Tomlian in handcuffs.
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After being restrained, Tomlian appears to characterize the incident as self-defense, saying, “freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.”
“I apologize, officer,” he says while being escorted away. “I was backed into a corner.”
UT Tyler President Dr. Julie V. Philley confirmed in a statement that the confrontation occurred during a Turning Point USA student event.
“An individual, who is not a UT Tyler student, assaulted three people,” Philley said. “UT Tyler police responded immediately and arrested the individual.”
Tomlian remained held at the Smith County jail, according to records. He has also been barred from the university campus.
“Everyone has the right to free speech, and violence will not be tolerated at this university,” Philley said.
In a separate incident on Election Day, New Hampshire police arrested a 70-year-old poet accused of slapping a Turning Point Action volunteer across the face outside a polling place. Turning Point Action is an affiliated nonprofit, and that confrontation was also captured on video.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated last year during a TPUSA event at Utah Valley University in Utah.
Tyler Robinson, the suspect in that case, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to stand trial in June 2028.
