Father of SoCal Marine killed in 2021 Kabul airport bombing arrested for disrupting SOTU

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Friday, March 8, 2024
Father of SoCal Marine killed in 2021 airport bombing arrested at SOTU
Steven Nikoui, the dad of a SoCal Marine who was killed in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, was arrested for disrupting President Biden's SOTU address.

WASHINGTON -- The father of a U.S. Marine from Southern California who was killed in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing was arrested for disrupting President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Thursday, police said.

Late into Biden's remarks, a man was removed from the upper area of the House chamber after shouting out repeatedly. U.S. Capitol Police identified him as Steven K. Nikoui, 51.

Nikoui is the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, 20, of Norco, who was one of 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on August 26, 2021. The blast happened as America was pulling out of Afghanistan.

During Biden's speech, Nikoui could be heard yelling, "Abbey Gate, Abbey Gate," which is the entrance to the Kabul airport.

The father of a U.S. Marine from SoCal who was killed in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing was arrested for disrupting President Biden's State of the Union address, police said.

Officers asked Nikoui to stop shouting and when he did not, he was removed, Capitol Police said in a statement. He was arrested for crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.

Causing a disruption to Congress in the Congressional Buildings is illegal, Capitol Police said. The charge is a misdemeanor.

Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast, who is a veteran, invited Nikoui to the State of the Union Address as his guest.

"For the last three SOTU speeches, Joe Biden REFUSED to say the names of the 13 U.S. servicemembers who were killed by his disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal," Mast posted on social media following Nikoui's removal.

ABC News contributed to this report.