Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder known for bringing the conservative movement onto college campuses, died Wednesday after being shot while speaking with college students at Utah Valley University.
He was a driving force for increasing college students' political participation, including at ASU. Because of his influence, multiple political organizations on campus have canceled events, and a candlelight vigil is planned for next week.
The New York Times reported that Andrew Kolvet, Kirk's spokesperson, confirmed his death Wednesday afternoon.
Kirk was hosting a "Prove Me Wrong" tabling event for TPUSA's first installment of "The American Comeback Tour" when he was fatally shot.
Kirk and his organization have played a substantial role in Arizona politics. The prominent conservative influencer and activist was a resident of Scottsdale — having sold his house last year — and set up TPUSA headquarters in Phoenix.
TPUSA and Turning Point Action host "AmericaFest" — a convention that brings together prominent conservative figures and like-minded individuals — in Arizona. It is planned to take place at the Phoenix Convention Center in December of this year.
READ MORE: Turning Point's AmericaFest celebrates young voters, features president-elect
"He is the cornerstone of the Generation Z conservative movement," said Troy Holderby, president of College Republicans at ASU and a sophomore studying mathematics. "He really is the foundation for everything that I think we're going to see coming in the future."
Before the 2024 general election, Kirk visited students at the University for a "Greeks for Trump" event to register voters. He was alongside Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for U.S. senator of Arizona at the time.
READ MORE: Kari Lake, Charlie Kirk visit ASU during 'Greeks for Trump' voter registration drive
Kirk last came to the University in October as part of his "You're Being Brainwashed Tour."
"Many would say, as well as myself, that Trump would not have won in 2024 if it wasn't for Charlie's organization and everything he had been building until then to get youth involved," Holderby said.
READ MORE: Charlie Kirk's Brainwashed Tour stops at ASU with special guests Bryce Hall and George Janko
TPUSA at ASU has not responded to a request for comment.
Following the news, TPUSA at ASU and Young Democrats at ASU canceled their respective meetings for the week.
"We urge all students and the Arizona community to treat one another with respect and dignity while our country processes the tragedy that we witnessed today," the Young Democrats at ASU said in a statement on Instagram.
A vigil for Kirk, organized with TPUSA at ASU, will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday at Desert Financial Arena. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., a clear bag policy will be in effect and security will be present, according to a statement from a University spokesperson.
Holderby said many people messaged him after the shooting wanting to talk about what happened.
"They said, 'I feel like I have to be involved now,'" Holderby said.
Holderby said that miscommunication about political influencers' platforms can lead to people feeling fearful, lending itself to potential political violence.
In the aftermath of the attack, Holderby said people must come together despite their differences to move forward through the current political climate.
"It's going to be empowering and getting a lot more people involved in politics now, in a way that we haven't seen before," Holderby said.
Update: A previous version of this story stated the Monday vigil was going to be held on Hayden Lawn. The details of the vigil were edited to reflect a location change on Sept. 13 at 11:32 a.m.
Edited by Carsten Oyer, George Headley, Katrina Michalak, Sophia Braccio and Pippa Fung.
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Emma Bradford is a junior studying journalism and mass communication and political science with a minor in business. She has previously worked at the Cronkite News Washington, D.C. bureau as a Politics and Money Reporter. Bradford is in her fourth semester with The State Press and on the politics desk.
