The slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has shaken young supporters across college campuses but also hardened their resolve to build a new wave of student activism, students told The Post.
Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed while on stage during an event at Utah Valley University during what organizers called his American Comeback Tour. A 22-year-old former Utah State University student, Tyler Robinson, confessed to the shooting Friday after being handed over to authorities by his father, who is a police officer.
Students interviewed described Kirk as more than a political figure: a communicator who made conservatism feel relevant, acceptable and appealing to a generation they say often feels isolated. Several said his campus visits and debates validated young conservatives’ voices and gave them permission to speak up, even when they faced opposition.
"Charlie Kirk was the embodiment of the First Amendment," said JT Marshburn, 19, a political science student at the University of Georgia and chairman of his campus College Republican group. Marshburn said Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA when he was 19, "stood up for what we believe in as conservatives" and "expanded free speech on campuses."
Ian Wait, 25, a George Mason University graduate who works for the College Republican National Committee, said Kirk's appeal came from his willingness to engage respectfully with opponents. "While his views were strong on the right, he was always willing to debate them and entertain other points of view," Wait said. "He was an effective communicator who understood values, made them entertaining, and came across as authentic."
Naomi Speakman, 19, a law and political science student at Thomas More University in Kentucky, said watching Kirk debate students was a "pivotal moment" in her political awakening. "He made me feel my young voice was relevant to conservatives and the Republican Party," Speakman said, adding that witnessing his death had galvanized her and others. "People are just fed up with everything and seeing him killed was like watching a string snap. We're more riled up, not discouraged."
At Columbia University, freshmen and campus conservative leaders said Kirk's campus visits encouraged them to be more outspoken about faith and personal responsibility. Alegria Silvi, 18, a political science and psychology student, said attending one of Kirk's tours "gave young conservatives permission to be more outspoken" and made her more comfortable participating in political discourse without instigating confrontations.
Christina Ma, 20, vice president of Columbia University Republicans, said Kirk's emphasis on dialogue had encouraged bipartisan engagement. "He showed that when you stop talking, you start dehumanizing each other — and what has happened to him is a manifestation of that," Ma said. Ma recently founded a Turning Point USA chapter at Columbia and said Kirk believed in "the power of argument and good-faith debate to find the truth." Turning Point USA described him as "America's greatest martyr."
Students across campuses also voiced concerns about safety and the consequences of polarized political discourse. Wait said the country has a system for changing government rooted in constitutional protections and free speech, and that the events surrounding Kirk's death underscored the need to defend those principles through peaceful civic engagement. "No one wants to live in a society where they can be gunned down for their beliefs," he said.
Many of the students framed their response to the killing as a renewed commitment to activism rather than retreat. Marshburn said conservatives on campus must "stand firm and strong in our commitment to our beliefs and values" and continue to grow the party among Gen Z. Speakman said the moment had prompted peers to ask how they could "make my voice heard like Charlie Kirk did."
The shooting prompted immediate law enforcement and university responses at Utah Valley University, and the suspect's confession came after his father, a police officer, turned him in, authorities said. Investigations and legal proceedings are ongoing.
Students interviewed said they expect Kirk's influence to be enduring. They credited him with reframing conservative politics on campus into something "cool" and accessible to young people by engaging directly in debates and by creating a community where they felt heard. For those students, honoring that influence means more public engagement on campuses and a continued emphasis on debate and free speech as tools for political persuasion.
As campuses and political organizations respond, student leaders said they will work to keep conversations going and to make conservative ideas part of campus life through organized speech, debate forums and recruitment of new members. They said the objective is not only to memorialize Kirk's impact but also to sustain the networks and activism he cultivated among their generation.
