Turning Point USA at ASU and the College Republicans at ASU co-hosted a candlelit vigil for Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of TPUSA, on Monday evening. Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University while speaking and debating with students on campus.
The vigil was held at Desert Financial Arena, where remarks began at 5:41 p.m. and continued for just over two hours. 10,000 attendees were registered for the event, according to Jonathan Coon, president of TPUSA at ASU.
READ MORE: ASU community reacts to death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk
Among the crowd were many ASU students, some of whom attended the vigil after being at previous events hosted by Kirk on campus. Others were long-time followers, alumni and people from out of state.
"Charlie Kirk was my mentor," Dylan Marks, a junior studying business, said. "I knew him for nine years. I met him in eighth grade, and we started the Turning Point Chaparral chapter at Chaparral High School just down the street."
Allie Cole graduated from ASU in 2023 after studying business entrepreneurship but booked a last-minute plane ticket to Arizona in order to attend Kirk's vigil, despite never having the opportunity to see him in person.
Cole began following Kirk while attending ASU and felt "safer to be able to open my views up and tell people what I thought" after watching Kirk's content.
PHOTO TIMELINE: Charlie Kirk events photographed by The State Press
The vigil included 14 speakers — Kirk's co-workers, friends, ASU faculty and student leaders for TPUSA at ASU and College Republicans at ASU.
During the speeches, many spoke on Kirk's political influence and impact on college students, and they encouraged people to continue the work Kirk started.
"The truth is, America still needs voices of change, voices of courage," Chris Gaffrey, the college enterprise director at TPUSA, said during the speech. "The next generation still needs leaders willing to stand in the fire and not flinch."
Kirk's work during his life resonated particularly strongly with conservative students who felt alienated on campus.
"He was a light for the conservatives," Maranda Rogers, a senior studying business, said. "He was a voice ... I know personally I didn't feel like I had a super big impact or voice here. So someone who's willing to step on that platform, it was huge."
Another key theme for the night was faith — the ties between Christianity and Kirk's life and legacy were focal points for each individual at the podium.
Multiple speakers read Bible verses throughout the vigil, and some spoke about the religious mission they believe Kirk took on during his life.
"He remained faithful to the mission God entrusted to him," Gaffrey said. "Even as the opposition grew louder and the growth grew harder, Charlie never lost sight of the divine calling he was meant to fulfill."
Despite the strong Christian themes of the vigil, there were some attendees who practiced other religions but found ways to still connect to the message.
"I felt embraced," said Banks, who practices Judaism. "I felt at home, and especially the same love that Charlie gave for our faith, I feel like I can give that back."
The message of remembrance and carrying on Kirk's legacy permeated all aspects of the event, and was even used by some speakers to split political lines.
"If this crazy, left-wing radicalization is happening in Utah, it's happening everywhere," said Tyler Bowyer, COO of TPUSA. "This isn't a both sides problem. This is very clearly a one-sided problem."
Bowyer and Jack Posobiec, TPUSA contributor and a friend of Kirk's who spoke at the event, argued that the job of those attending was not just to practice the values he did, but to push those values forward against those who oppose them.
"As long as there is blood in my veins and air in my lungs, I will make sure that the radical left, the media and the Democrats never forget the name of Charlie Kirk," Posobiec said.
Edited by Senna James, George Headley, Sophia Braccio and Katrina Michalak.
Reach the reporter at sluba@asu.edu and mmart533@asu.edu and follow @samluba6 on X.
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Sam Luba is a Senior Reporter with the State Press, focusing on longer form news stories and breaking news coverage. He is a Sophomore studying political science and justice studies, and is a competitor with Sun Devil Mock Trial. He was the Editor-in-Chief of his high school news magazine. He is in his 3rd Semester with the State Press, working previously as a Part-Time Political Reporter.
MJ is a senior reporter. She previously worked as a part-time reporter for Sci-Tech.
