Thousands of mourners filled a Utah Valley University arena Thursday night to mark one year since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The crowd gathered in Orem, Utah, for an emotional ceremony honoring the Turning Point USA co-founder, who was 31 when he was shot in the neck during an open mic debate on the same campus on Sept. 10. The university shut down operations and canceled classes for the day to accommodate the massive memorial.
Sage Lloyd, president of UVU’s TPUSA chapter, addressed the arena with a call to action rooted in grief. “Today, one year later, at Utah Valley University. We remember Charlie Kirk. We mourn Charlie Kirk, and we honor Charlie Kirk,” Lloyd told the crowd.
“Perhaps the greatest way to honor him is not simply to remember what he did, but continue what he started,” he added.
Lloyd spoke directly about the trauma his members had endured, noting that some in the room had witnessed the political assassination firsthand. “Our chapter has grieved, we have struggled, and we have carried things that few people outside of our own experience will ever completely understand, but through all of the hardship, we are still here.”
“The same students who witnessed a political assassination are willing to stand up, speak out, and keep moving forward all because of the impact one man, Charlie Kirk, had on their lives,” he continued.
The 8:30 p.m. Event also featured radio host Glenn Beck, Christian author Frank Turek, and Turning Point USA Chief Field Officer Andrew Syphe. The ceremony was one of multiple global observances Thursday, with additional rallies and vigils held in New York City, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, and Sydney, Australia.
National Republicans planned their own tribute to Kirk during a midterm convention in Dallas on Thursday night.
Not all students welcomed the campus takeover. UVU’s Students for a Democratic Society club organized a planned protest and circulated an open letter to administrators condemning the decision to hand the campus to TPUSA for the anniversary.
“We, students of UVU, strongly condemn the decision to hand over our campus to TPUSA on September 10. As we approach the anniversary of this tragic event, it should be made clear that many of us will be further negatively affected by allowing TPUSA to occupy our campus on that day,” the group wrote.
The shooting that killed Kirk sparked a 33-hour manhunt before the arrest of alleged gunman Tyler Robinson, 23. Prosecutors have said Robinson used his grandfather’s hunting rifle and targeted Kirk over his political expression against gay marriage, trans rights, and what the suspect called “the LGBTQ+ agenda.” Robinson faces first-degree murder charges with political targeting and other aggravating factors, a conviction that could carry the death penalty.
The married father of two had built a national following through his confrontational campus speaking events, drawing devoted supporters and vocal critics alike to his debates on cultural and political issues.
Robinson will stand trial for the shooting, with the aggravated murder charge exposing him to capital punishment if convicted.