The assassination of Charlie Kirk marked a pivotal and life-changing moment for men, women and families who gathered to mourn the charismatic conservative leader at the Phoenix headquarters of the Turning Point movement he founded and grew into a national political force.
Solemn individuals and young families with children dropped off flowers, shed tears and embraced oneanother in the moments and hours after Kirk’s slaying. Strangers called each other “brother” and “sister,” and knelt to pray, asking God to heal and comfort Kirk’s wife and their children.
They shared how Kirk’s unapologetic willingness to speak his mind gave them the confidence to standproudly in their faith and morals.
“We live in America. We have the First Amendment right to free speech. He was killed because ofthat right, but he taught the rest of us that it’s OK to be strong,” said Pawnee Carter, 64.
Carter and others said Kirk’s death felt like a watershed moment for conservatives, that not conforming to the political left’s beliefs could result in getting killed.
Kirk’s murder adds to a growing list of instances of political violence in the U.S. Two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses were fatally shot in June. In July 2024, an assassination attempt was made against President Donald Trump on the campaign trail.
How mourners in Phoenix responded to Charlie Kirk’s slaying
In Phoenix, some mourners blamed the Democrats. Some blamed the media.
“Your fault, you spread the hate!” one woman yelled to a line of reporters as she drove by Turning Point‘s complex of buildings near the Arizona Grand Resort.
Mike Hood, who dropped off white roses moments after Kirk’s death was announced, pointed to vitriolic rhetoric and people too willing to call each other “Nazis” and vilify each other.
“It’s coming to a head,” Hood said.
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Jacob Kaufman, 24, who brought flowers after clocking out of work, said, “There’s no place for any political violence, no matter whether it’s a right-wing activist or left-wing activist.”
Damon Zomer said it was a scary time to be conservative in America. He came to the headquarters to pray, against the wishes of his wife who feared the location could be a target. But he doesn’t believe Kirk’s death will silence conservatives from speaking their minds. Rather, it will wake them up, he said, and “the baton will be passed.”
Carter agreed.
“You put one foot in front of the other. You pray, you bring that prayer to the streets. You march foward with American flags in hand, your put your gun on your side, and you carry it proudly and out loud,” Carter said. “Because we cannot be ashamed of who we are.”
Carter said she planned to buy another gun, and she suspected other conservatives would, too.
She said she hoped Trump would bring the National Guard to more cities in response, hoping it would serve as a warning to violent behavior.
Carter said she told her daughter, “You know, they hated Jesus, too. He didn’t start out to be a martyr, but he became one.”
Taylor Seely is a First Amendment Reporting Fellow at The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Do you have a story about the government infringing on your First Amendment rights? Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116.
Seely’s role is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Charlie Kirk mourned at Turning Point’s Phoenix headquarters