The 2,460-seat Concert Hall at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was filled Sunday evening as mourners gathered for a prayer vigil honoring Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
Speakers at the event, held four days after the shooting, included House Speaker Mike Johnson, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose remarks prompted a standing ovation from the crowd. Organizers said the vigil was arranged by more than 80 volunteers and both opened and closed with worship services that reflected Kirk's Christian faith.
Kennedy, who was introduced after emcee and longtime friend Jake Hoffman, praised Kirk’s influence on conservative politics and on his own family, saying Kirk was the "primary architect of his unification of President Trump" and recalling that a niece had packed a Bible for college "so that she could live like Charlie Kirk." More than 85 members of Congress were in attendance, according to organizers.
Speaker Johnson described Kirk as someone who "loved a vigorous debate, but he loved people more," and said Kirk was "never motivated by hate." Leavitt recounted how Kirk and Turning Point provided support for her 2022 congressional campaign, arguing the group reshaped the Republican Party and helped insurgent candidates compete with establishment-backed opponents.
Tulsi Gabbard, serving as director of national intelligence, said Kirk believed ideas he disagreed with should be countered "by better ideas," and urged attendees to continue his work. Kari Lake, a senior adviser at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, referenced the law enforcement investigation into the reported shooter, asking, "How does a 22-year-old become so filled with hate?" and asserting that "Charlie is not dead, he's got everlasting life."
Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who worked with Turning Point on Hispanic engagement before her election, recalled being hired by Kirk before leaving for medical school and described the group's growth from small beginnings to national conferences that drew "thousands upon thousands of young people."
Hundreds of people who could not secure seats streamed the vigil from outside the Kennedy Center, according to organizers and attendees. Several young people in the crowd described Kirk as someone who encouraged civil discussion and outreach across ideological lines. One attendee, identified as James, 22, of Great Falls, Virginia, told reporters that Kirk taught him to value a civility that would allow people on opposite sides to voice opinions. Another, Andrew, 24, said a notable part of Kirk’s legacy was his willingness to engage with people across party lines.
GOP Rep. John McGuire of Virginia said at the vigil that the event felt both somber and optimistic, and that his office had received increased inquiries from young people about voter registration. McGuire said several pastors at the vigil also reported unusually high church attendance that day, which he described as a positive development emerging from the tragedy.
Kirk was shot on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem during the first stop of a scheduled fall speaking tour. Authorities have identified a suspect, and investigations into the shooting are ongoing. The Kennedy Center event served as a public outpouring of grief and remembrance from conservative activists, elected officials and supporters who credited Kirk with mobilizing young conservatives and reshaping parts of the Republican movement.
Organizers said the evening combined prayers, hymns and personal remembrances, and that volunteers worked to ensure those outside the hall could follow the service. Speakers emphasized themes of faith, political engagement and continuing the civic work they associate with Kirk’s life; several urged political activism and voter registration among young people in attendance.
The vigil was one of several gatherings across the country in the days following the shooting as friends, colleagues and political allies held services, vigils and public statements remembering Kirk. Authorities have continued their investigation into the circumstances of the shooting and the motives of the reported attacker.