OREM, Utah — Thousands of Charlie Kirk supporters packed an arena at Utah Valley University on Thursday night to honor the conservative activist one year after he was assassinated on the campus.

Students and friends of the Turning Point USA co-founder, who was just 31 years old when he was gunned down during one of his popular open mic events, vowed to “continue what he started” in a touching ceremony.

“Today, one year later, at Utah Valley University. We remember Charlie Kirk. We mourn Charlie Kirk, and we honor Charlie Kirk,” Sage Lloyd, the President of UVU’s TPUSA chapter, told the massive crowd.

“Perhaps the greatest way to honor him is not simply to remember what he did, but continue what he started,” Lloyd said.

A packed crowd assembled to honor Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Thursday night. Turning Point USA

Lloyd recalled that TPUSA members at the public university —  where Kirk was shot in the neck while calmly debating college students in a chilling, caught-on-video slaying on Sept. 10, 2025 —  have been motivated to continue his legacy despite their immense grief.

“Our chapter has grieved, we have struggled, and we have carried things that few people outside of our own experience will ever completely understand, but through all of the hardship, we are still here.”

“The same students who witnessed a political assassination are willing to stand up, speak out, and keep moving forward all because of the impact one man, Charlie Kirk, had on their lives.”

The massive event, which kicked off at 8:30 EST, also featured speeches by radio host Glenn Beck, Christian author Frank Turek, and Turning Point USA’s Chief Field Officer Andrew Syphe,

Memorial flyers dedicated to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and a single red rose are taped to a concrete pillar within a campus courtyard on September 10, 2026 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Charles McClintock Wilson/ZUMA / SplashNews.com

The memorial drew backlash from UVU’s Students for a Democratic Society club, which planned to protest the event — which shut down campus and canceled classes on Thursday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

“We, students of UVU, strongly condemn the decision to hand over our campus to TPUSA on September 10. As we approach the anniversary of this tragic event, it should be made clear that many of us will be further negatively affected by allowing TPUSA to occupy our campus on that day,” students said in the open letter addressed to the campus administration.

Last year’s horrifying shooting sent thousands of spectators at the public Utah university fleeing for their lives and spurred a 33-hour manhunt culminating in the arrest of alleged gunman Tyler Robinson.

Robinson, 23, allegedly used his grandfather’s hunting rifle to gun down the married father of two over his “political expression” against gay marriage, trans rights, and “the LGBTQ+ agenda,” prosecutors have said.

Robinson will stand trial for first-degree murder with political targeting and other aggravating factors for last year’s shooting, a charge that could give Robinson the death penalty if convicted.

The Utah Valley University service was one of several rallies and vigils honoring the conservative icon worldwide — with Thursday’s events stretching from New York City, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, and Sydney, Australia.

National Republicans also planned to honor Kirk with a special tribute during their massive midterm convention in Dallas Thursday night.

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