Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed Wednesday on a Utah college campus, has been remembered by colleagues and supporters for his faith and advocacy, with his close friend Andrew Kolvet urging mourners to honor him by returning to church.
Kolvet, the executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show," made the appeal Sunday on "Sunday Morning Futures," calling on supporters to channel grief into religious observance and the causes Kirk promoted. Kirk, who was fatally shot at Utah Valley University, leaves behind his wife, Erika, and two young children.
"I want Charlie to be remembered for his great faith because that's how he wanted to be remembered, for his courage and his faith," Kolvet said. He urged supporters specifically to mark the day with worship: "If you [want to] honor Charlie today, it is Sunday… go back to church, open your Bible, pray, ask God to lead you. That's what he wanted."
Vigils and memorials have taken place across the United States and abroad since Kirk's death, organizers and participants said. Turning Point USA campus chapters, gatherings on Capitol Hill and demonstrations overseas have included candlelight vigils, marches and displays of photographs and banners. A previously scheduled march in London saw demonstrators carry pictures and signs in Kirk's memory.
Turning Point USA announced plans for a public memorial next weekend at the Arizona Cardinals' stadium, a venue that can accommodate more than 70,000 people. The organization said it will provide details about the memorial's format and timing in the coming days.
Kolvet described the global response as evidence of the authenticity he said defined Kirk's message. "The reason he resonated, I believe, so widely and so broadly across the world… is because he himself was good. A message sown across the world out of a place of integrity and honesty and decency," Kolvet said. He added that Kirk's manner could not be easily replicated: "You can't emulate that. You can fake that. And it comes through. People can see just how straightforward and honest and good he was."
Kolvet said the peaceful nature of the memorials has been especially meaningful to Kirk's family, staff and friends. "The people that loved him most, they're not rioting. They're not burning down cities or businesses. They are praying, they're lighting candles in his honor, and they're expressing the grief that they feel, that we all feel, in their own way," he said.
Supporters and invited speakers are expected to address Kirk's work on conservative organizing, campus outreach and his promotion of traditional family values rooted in his Christian faith. Turning Point USA has said further logistical information about the public memorial, including access and programming, will be released ahead of the event.
Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting pending an ongoing investigation. Local law enforcement agencies are leading the inquiry into the incident at Utah Valley University and have asked anyone with relevant information to come forward.
Friends, colleagues and conservative activists have expressed condolences across social media and at in-person gatherings, while some Republican officials and public figures have also issued statements mourning Kirk's death. The outpouring of public grief reflects Kirk's prominence as an organizer and commentator within conservative political circles.
Kirk rose to national attention as a co-founder of Turning Point USA, an organization that mobilized students and young conservatives on college campuses. Much of his public work emphasized what he described as supporting the traditional American family and fostering conservative principles among younger generations, a message Kolvet and others say was rooted in Kirk's Christian faith.
Organizers of the planned public memorial said they expect large turnout and asked attendees to follow guidance from local and venue authorities when it is made available. Turning Point USA has asked that expressions of sympathy respect the bereaved family's privacy as preparations for formal remembrance continue.