The Utah House of Representatives on Wednesday night hosted a vigil for conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk after he was shot in the neck and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University earlier in the day.
“This is a dark day for our state; it’s a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination,” Gov. Spencer Cox said Wednesday on the campus of UVU.
Speakers at Wednesday night’s vigil echoed Cox’s statements amid a crowd of over 100 people, many of whom carried American flags and wore “Make America Great Again” apparel.
“The senseless violence that took Charlie Kirk’s life today is a heartbreaking attempt to silence a bold voice for truth,” House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee, R-Syracuse, said tearfully. “But it will not succeed.”
Lisonbee was joined in remembering Kirk by Rep. Tiara Auxier, R-Morgan, Rep. Jake Sawyer, R-West Haven, Brian King, 2024 gubernatorial candidate, former Utah state representative and chairman of the Utah Democratic Party, as well as Rorie Stewart, communication director for the Utah Federation of College Republicans.
Auxier thanked the many people in attendance for taking the time to show up to Wednesday night’s vigil.
“Today, our state and our nation lost Charlie Kirk, a man who dedicated his life to advancing freedom, defending truth and to giving young people the courage to think for themselves. Charlie was not afraid to walk into the lion’s den. He knew the hostility he would face. He knew the names he would be called, but he showed up anyway, because he loved America and believed it was still worth fighting for,” Auxier said.
Utah resident Jason Pino said he got the news of Kirk’s assassination when he was working and said he “didn’t want it to be real.”
“He was like an old friend. When I needed cheering up, I’d watch one of his YouTube videos. The way he presented himself and debated, he never degraded anybody. He never made them feel like they were less and he never freaked out on them or nothing like that. He just said facts. He said the truth,” Pino said.
Pino said he sees Kirk’s death as more evidence that America is a “divided nation.”
“There’s weak people out there that can’t that can’t have a conversation with someone and have it be adult, you know? Yeah, I don’t agree with you, but I don’t hate you. That’s where we’ve got to get. We’ve got to be able to talk to each other. And if we don’t agree, we don’t agree, that’s it. Nobody’s life on either side is worth taking over something that you don’t agree with,” Pino said.
Kirk left behind a wife and two children, according to CBS News.
The vigil featured a moment of silence and two prayers for Kirk’s family. Upon its conclusion, the crowd sang the national anthem, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Amazing Grace,” among others.
“Charlie’s unwavering commitment to free speech, to the sanctity of life and conservative values like faith, family and freedom cannot be extinguished by such cowardly acts,” Lisonbee said.