Utah Valley University reportedly pulled out of a planned Sept. 10 memorial with Turning Point USA marking one year since Charlie Kirk was assassinated on campus, while announcing that the university will close that day for reflection and a community service event.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Utah Valley University has reportedly withdrawn from plans to participate with Turning Point USA in a memorial marking the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, leaving the organization he founded searching for another location weeks before the Sept. 10 observance.
Kirk was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025, at the public university in Utah. An anonymous source cited by The Cougar Chronicle said UVU had been expected to take part in a joint anniversary service with Turning Point USA but recently backed out. According to the source, TPUSA is frustrated by the reported change and is attempting to arrange an alternative site on short notice. UVU, Turning Point USA and Republican Utah state Sen. Dan McCay did not immediately respond to requests for comment cited in the report.
The university has separately announced that it will suspend normal operations on Sept. 10 and provide students and employees with time away from their regular schedules. “Healing continues in different ways for each member of our university community as we approach September 10, the one-year anniversary of the tragic events surrounding Charlie Kirk’s death,” UVU said in an Aug. 7 email reported by The Cougar Chronicle. “To provide time and space for reflection, service, and connection, UVU will close operations [September 10].”
Rather than announcing a Kirk memorial in that message, the university invited students and employees to participate in its annual Day of Caring volunteer initiative, according to an Instagram post highlighted by the outlet. An embedded version of the post also promoted the event. United Way of Utah County, the nonprofit associated with the program, describes its “corporate day of service” as an effort to “transform our classrooms, neighborhood parks, community gardens, and gathering places across our community.”
The reported withdrawal comes after several earlier disputes over how UVU has handled events and public messaging following Kirk’s death. In March, the university announced author and podcaster Sharon McMahon as its 2026 commencement speaker, a decision that drew criticism from some students. McMahon, whose biography describes her work as an author and public educator, had posted criticism of Kirk shortly after his assassination in an Instagram message captioned “Charlie Kirk, In His Own Words.” The now-deleted post included an image stating, “To many Americans – especially if you are black, LGBTQ, or Muslim – Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good faith debates on college campuses.”
UVU later removed McMahon as commencement speaker, citing security concerns. Her spokesperson defended her response to Kirk’s killing, telling The Salt Lake Tribune, “Sharon unequivocally condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk, repeatedly and publicly calling his death a tragedy and stressing that public debate must never be met with violence. Sharon’s goal is to unpack what is happening in society and help people understand how government works.”
Questions about the university’s handling of Kirk’s death also arose after a Sept. 19, 2025, campus vigil. According to The Cougar Chronicle, the event mentioned Kirk by name only once and otherwise focused on general messages of campus unity. Speakers repeatedly referred to what happened as “the tragedy on campus.” Police officers and metal detectors were used to secure the gathering.
The first anniversary will therefore arrive amid continued scrutiny over how UVU chooses to commemorate an assassination that occurred on its own campus. Although the university plans to close operations Sept. 10 and encourage reflection, service and connection, the reported decision to withdraw from a joint memorial with Turning Point USA has created uncertainty over where and how Kirk’s organization will mark the anniversary.
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