Thousands of students and community members held candlelight vigils and memorials on college campuses and in public spaces across the United States over the weekend and on Monday to mourn Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder who was killed last week.
Turning Point USA chapters at universities organized many of the events, drawing large crowds at Arizona State University, the University of South Carolina, Utah Valley University and other campuses, as well as public gatherings in New York City and Beverly Hills, Fox News Digital reported.
At Arizona State University, the campus chapter of Turning Point USA organized a candlelight vigil at Desert Financial Arena on Monday that the chapter said was free with pre-registration. By Monday afternoon more than 10,000 students and community members had signed up to attend, according to Fox affiliate FOX 10 Phoenix. Photos and video distributed by news outlets showed attendees holding up lit phones and candles.
At the University of South Carolina, organizers said a vigil filled a lecture hall to capacity and that some mourners were turned away as the venue reached its limit, Fox News Digital reported. The USC chapter encouraged attendees to "continue to pray for each other" and described Kirk as a man of faith who gave a platform to those who disagreed with him.
In Utah, students and residents gathered at Utah Valley University as the campus reopened for students and staff seeking mental health services. Memorials including flowers and American flags were placed on the campus courtyard; an American flag now hangs where Kirk had stood before he was shot, according to reporting.
Public vigils and rallies were held outside campus settings as well. In New York City, supporters gathered in Washington Square Park on Sunday night, where some attendees chanted "USA" and an event organizer told the crowd that "political violence has no place in this republic." A large crowd also assembled at Beverly Hills Garden Park for a rally and vigil on Sunday afternoon.
Organizers and attendees at several events framed the gatherings both as tributes to Kirk’s conservative activism and as statements against political violence. A college student interviewed by local media in Los Angeles said he had been moved to attend because he agreed with Kirk’s emphasis on free speech.
Turning Point USA has announced a large public memorial service titled "Building a Legacy, Remembering Charlie Kirk" to be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, next Sunday. Former President Donald Trump said Monday he plans to attend the memorial and indicated he may deliver remarks, according to Fox News reporting.
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA and rose to prominence as a conservative organizer and commentator, was 31 years old at the time of his death. Authorities have continued investigative work into the shooting; news coverage of the vigils focused on public mourning and campus responses rather than details of the investigation.
The gatherings come amid heightened attention on political safety at public events and on college campuses. Organizers at several universities coordinated with campus officials on event logistics and, in some cases, campus mental health services were made available to students. Officials at the institutions cited in reporting did not release additional public statements beyond notices about the events.
Fox News Digital contributed reporting to this article.