Turning Point USA honored founder Charlie Kirk on Thursday with a memorial at Utah Valley University, marking one year since he was fatally shot while speaking with students on the campus.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
Turning Point USA returned to Utah Valley University on Thursday to honor founder Charlie Kirk on the first anniversary of his assassination, gathering at the same campus where he was fatally shot during an outdoor event on Sept. 10, 2025.
The organization held its “Freedom Built to Last” memorial at the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah, describing the gathering as an opportunity to remember Kirk’s life, faith and political legacy. TPUSA scheduled the event for exactly one year after his death.
Kirk was killed while engaging with students at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson has been charged in connection with the killing and has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
In a message published Thursday, TPUSA reflected on the loss of the man who founded the conservative organization and built it into a nationwide network focused heavily on high school and college students.
“One year ago, our founder, our leader, and our friend, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated while doing what he had devoted his life to: standing before young Americans and challenging them to think, to speak, and to have the courage to stand for what they believe,” TPUSA wrote.
The organization said the anniversary was particularly difficult for Kirk’s family and those who knew him personally.
“Today, our hearts are especially with Erika, Charlie’s children, the Kirk family, and the countless people who loved him,” TPUSA continued. “We will never forget the unimaginable loss they continue to carry.”
TPUSA said its remembrance was also intended to focus on Kirk’s life and the principles that shaped his work.
“But we also remember Charlie for how he lived,” the organization wrote, saying Kirk’s Christian faith “was at the center of who he was” and that “Charlie Believed America was worth fighting for.”
Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012, and the organization grew into a prominent conservative youth organization with chapters across high schools and colleges nationwide. TPUSA has continued expanding in the year since his death and is now led by his widow, Erika Kirk.
The Utah memorial was one of several tributes held Thursday. Kirk was also remembered during the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, where speakers marked the anniversary of his killing and reflected on his influence within the conservative movement.
For TPUSA, however, the anniversary centered on the future of the organization Kirk created.
“Turning Point shares those beliefs and we will never abandon them. Charlie never gave up, and neither will we. Turning Point will continue to grow and meet milestones that Charlie dreamed of,” TPUSA concluded.
Thursday’s gathering at Utah Valley University brought the organization back to the location where Kirk’s life ended one year earlier, this time to commemorate his work and reaffirm TPUSA’s intention to continue the movement he founded.
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