Turning Point USA said it received roughly 18,000 requests to start new chapters in the day after founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, a surge the organization and allies described as a response to a public address by his wife and to the shooting that killed him.
Kirk, 31, was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 and later died, authorities and media reports said. The alleged shooter, identified in reports as Tyler Robinson, was turned in by his father and arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, according to law enforcement statements cited in media accounts.
The surge in chapter requests came after Erika Kirk spoke publicly for the first time since the shooting, delivering an emotional 17-minute address in which she pledged to continue her husband’s work. A screenshot circulated on social media, shared by Minnesota state Rep. Eliott Engen, showing a Turning Point USA leader citing the 18,000 submissions within about 24 hours of the speech. The figure was reported by Fox News and by other outlets citing Turning Point USA.
Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk in 2012, said it previously had about 9,000 college chapters and 1,100 high school chapters. Requests to start chapters are submitted through the group’s website, which asks prospective organizers to identify themselves and how they would like to get involved, the organization said in statements reported by media outlets.
Alongside the chapter requests, fundraisers for the Kirk family raised substantial sums. A GiveSendGo campaign established to support Erika Kirk and the couple’s two children had raised nearly $3 million, according to reporting. Heather Wilson, co-founder and co-CEO of Turning Point USA, said friends and supporters set up the campaign within hours and that its rapid response reflected how deeply Kirk’s life had affected people.
Vigils for Kirk were held in multiple U.S. cities and abroad, including events in England and Australia. Turning Point UK organized a vigil on Sept. 12; Jack Ross, chief executive of the British arm of the group, thanked attendees and said he believed Kirk would have been “incredibly touched” by the turnout, according to coverage of the event.
Media reports described a scheduling detail in which Erika Kirk accompanied officials on a flight carrying her husband’s body back to Arizona. Those reports said she traveled on Air Force Two with Vice President JD Vance and his wife and that a memorial service was planned for Sept. 21 at the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium, with former President Donald Trump saying he planned to attend, according to news accounts.
Authorities have said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Local and federal officials, cited in reporting, said they were treating the case as a criminal investigation and were cooperating with Turning Point USA and other agencies as appropriate. Turning Point USA has described Kirk’s mission as organizing students around principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government.
The reported surge in chapter requests, the fundraising support and the vigils underscore the immediate reaction among Kirk’s supporters and the broader conservative student network following his death. Law enforcement continues to handle the criminal case, while Turning Point USA and allies have focused public attention on memorial events and on sustaining the organization’s operations and outreach.