Memorials and vigils are being held across the United States and overseas Thursday as supporters mark one year since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
Americans are marking the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination with memorials, vigils and commemorative gatherings Thursday, one year after the conservative activist was fatally shot while addressing thousands of people at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Events honoring Kirk are taking place from Utah and Arizona to New York and as far away as Australia, while Utah Valley University closed its campus for the anniversary to give students and employees what officials described as “space for reflection, service and connection.”
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Kirk, 31, was speaking at an outdoor event on the university campus on Sept. 10, 2025, when he was shot. His killing prompted an outpouring of tributes from political leaders and supporters while renewing national debate over political violence.
Turning Point USA, the conservative organization Kirk co-founded, is holding a “Freedom Built to Last” memorial Thursday evening at Utah Valley University’s UCCU Center. Scheduled speakers include Glenn Beck, Christian author Frank Turek and officials from Turning Point USA.
President Donald Trump commemorated Kirk during the Republican midterm convention in Dallas a day before the anniversary, remembering him during Wednesday’s proceedings as both a friend and an influential conservative voice.
“Exactly one year ago tomorrow,” Trump said, Kirk was assassinated “because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth.”
Trump also recognized Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, who attended the convention.
The White House responded immediately after Kirk’s killing last year. Trump ordered American flags lowered to half-staff at the White House, federal buildings and grounds, military posts and naval stations across the United States and its territories through sunset Sept. 14, 2025. The order also applied to U.S. embassies, consular facilities and military installations overseas.
A little more than a month after Kirk’s death, Trump proclaimed Oct. 14, Kirk’s birthday, a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk. The proclamation called on Americans to honor Kirk and pray for “peace, truth, and justice.”
Kirk was also posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, on Oct. 14, 2025.
One year after the shooting, the criminal case against the man accused of killing Kirk remains unresolved.
Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty to seven charges, including aggravated murder. A judge has determined that prosecutors presented sufficient evidence for Robinson to stand trial, and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Robinson remains accused of the crime, and the charges against him have not been resolved at trial.
Utah Valley University, meanwhile, continues confronting the lasting impact of an assassination that occurred on its own campus. School officials formed a committee following Kirk’s death to develop plans for a permanent memorial.
Thursday’s campus closure and commemorative activities are intended to provide the university community with an opportunity to remember the events of Sept. 10, 2025, while emphasizing healing, service and connection.
The anniversary is also being observed well beyond Utah. Memorial events scheduled in several American cities and overseas reflect the national and international attention that followed Kirk’s death and the continued influence of the political organization he helped build.
Turning Point USA has continued operating and expanding during the year since Kirk’s killing, maintaining a substantial presence among conservative students and young voters. Kirk’s assassination remains a defining event for the organization and its supporters.
For those gathering Thursday, the anniversary marks one year since a political event on a university campus became the scene of a fatal shooting that reverberated across the country.
From the closed Utah Valley University campus to vigils, political commemorations and memorial gatherings around the world, Sept. 10 is being observed as a day of remembrance for Kirk while the prosecution of the man accused of killing him continues through the courts.
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