Charlie Kirk, co-founder and leader of Turning Point USA, was killed during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10. Authorities described the attack as targeted and said the suspect acted alone. Twenty-two-year-old Utah resident Tyler James Robinson has been taken into custody and faces serious charges as the investigation continues.
Amid the shock and heightened political tensions, students are discussing how to continue their activities without Kirk—from preserving campus debates to expanding participation in Turning Point USA.
On the day of the tragedy, 22-year-old Utah Valley University student Scott Sperry signed up for the local chapter of Turning Point USA for the first time. He explains that he had followed Charlie Kirk’s videos for years, and they were what pushed him toward political engagement.
Just before his idol’s appearance, Sperry decided the moment had come to "give back" by joining the organization Kirk founded in 2012. But as he took his seat in the front row, he witnessed a sniper’s bullet strike Kirk in the neck. "The images of that scene are still vivid in my mind," the student says. In his view, the death will not weaken the movement but instead give it momentum: "When you try to silence a voice like that, it doesn’t vanish—it only grows louder. Now there will be millions of Charlie Kirks, and that is exactly what we must strive for."
After Kirk’s death, the campus became a place of both mourning and protest.
In the first hours after the tragedy, students’ grief gave way to a sense of determination to carry on Kirk’s mission. In conversations with reporters, they emphasized that despite differing political views, they felt a personal responsibility to keep campus debates alive.
Today, Turning Point USA has more than 850 chapters on college campuses nationwide. Founded by Kirk at the age of 18, the organization played a visible role in mobilizing young voters and, many argue, helped Donald Trump’s electoral chances. Kirk himself, who built an online audience of millions, traveled widely to universities, joining debates on gender, race, immigration and gun rights. His combative style provoked both criticism and protests. At San Francisco State University last spring, for example, he was branded a "provocateur who thrives on anger," and videos of his events often captured fierce clashes.
Following Kirk’s killing, the Utah campus became the epicenter of political confrontation. On social media, critics blamed him for his outspoken defense of gun rights, while politicians and right-leaning commentators argued conservatives were being targeted by "radical leftists."
For some students, the event was their first entry point into politics. "This is the first political cause of our lives. We were not involved in politics at all," said freshman McKinley Schinkle. Together with his cousin, he held signs reading "Kirk is a hero" and "We are not afraid." "The fact that this happened on our campus, and that we saw people supporting the shooting—that radicalized us. Now we are going to stay in politics. Everything has changed."
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Utah Valley University, the state’s largest, sits in a valley at the foot of the mountains, overlooking a lake and the granite Mormon temple. Against this religious and politically conservative backdrop, many wondered why Kirk became a target here. Sophomore Ben Forster observed: "He often spoke in much more liberal places where the threats could have been greater. Now his martyrdom is established here. That’s the meaning of martyrdom: he was killed in the middle of a debate." At the same time, he emphasized: "I don’t care what his beliefs were. He was exercising his right to speak and argue in the public square—and that is what matters."
Memorial to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at the organization’s headquarters.
Traces of the tragedy are visible across the campus and beyond: police cordons, makeshift memorials with flowers and candles, posters reading "Kirk is a hero" in windows and along the roads. Students hang banners declaring "freedom" and "truth cannot be killed," while nearby vendors sell caps and flags with Donald Trump’s insignia. Cars honk at the intersection by the university—some in solidarity, others in protest.
Eb Jacobi, a sophomore and Turning Point USA activist, said he was drawn in by Kirk’s debates: "I liked that he made people think. Whatever their views, he engaged young people and sparked interest. He showed the way to become part of public life." According to Jacobi, the killing will only strengthen the movement.
Among those who joined the organization after the tragedy was Scott Sperry. "We are going to lead," he said. "We owe it to Charlie."