Around 200 people gathered on the south steps of the Utah State Capitol on Sept. 11 for a candlelight vigil to mourn Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator who was fatally shot during a campus event in Orem days earlier.
The impromptu memorial was organized on social media by 24-year-old Bailey Saddler of West Valley City and drew a cross-section of attendees, including young families, military personnel, retirees and teenagers wearing hand-scrawled T-shirts that read “Charlie lives.” Organizers and participants said they sought to honor Kirk’s message and mourn his death, while police investigators continue to search for the suspect in the shooting at Utah Valley University.
Several speakers at the vigil described Kirk in religious terms and invoked his faith. Sofía Longart, a 51-year-old Venezuelan immigrant who said she had not known Kirk before his death, attended wearing a U.S. flag she said she keeps from her first day in the United States. She told the crowd she felt compelled to come after learning of his killing and called on Americans to "wake up" to political divisions she compared to conditions that led her to leave her native country.
Saddler, who helped rally attendees on social media, said she was surprised by the turnout and that she felt compelled to organize after seeing news of Kirk’s death. "He just spread love and truth in God," Saddler told TIME, describing why she and others flocked to the capitol steps. She led the crowd in a rendition of "Amazing Grace" as the vigil wound down.
One of the teenagers at the vigil told the assembled crowd he had been "10 to 15 feet" away from Kirk during the shooting. He said the proximity to the attack left him emotional and urged attendees to emulate what he described as Kirk’s spirit of love and forgiveness.
Kirk, who gained prominence as a founder of Turning Point USA and later as a national conservative media figure, had become known for provocative campus debates and commentary that critics described as divisive. His public profile rose through events such as his "Prove Me Wrong" debate sessions and through a string of media appearances and social media campaigns. Supporters at the vigil emphasized his Christian faith and his impact on their political views, while some commentators and opponents have criticized his rhetoric on issues such as race, gender and LGBTQ rights.
Authorities have not released a suspect description or motive in the Orem shooting, and the investigation is ongoing. Local law enforcement and campus security officials have been working with state authorities in the days following the attack.
The Salt Lake City vigil reflected a broader reaction among Kirk's supporters, who have held memorials and posted tributes on social media since his death. Attendees at the capitol described a feeling of unity among people of varied backgrounds and said they aimed to honor what they called Kirk’s message of faith and patriotism.
The vigil did not include public appearances by national conservative figures, and organizers described the event as a local, grassroots response. As investigations continue in Orem, the Salt Lake City gathering offered supporters a place to publicly grieve and to reaffirm political and religious convictions tied to Kirk’s public persona.