Charlie Kirk's image still haunts many students at Utah Valley University one year after the right-wing political activist’s assassination on their college campus. Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of the conservative youth movement Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck by a sniper’s bullet while speaking in front of horrified college students in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025. Students remain divided a year after Kirk’s killing as their university canceled classes Thursday “to provide time and space for reflection, service and connection” and to mark the anniversary of the political assassination.
The university has allowed Turning Point to rent its UCCU Center in the evening to host a memorial for Kirk. Turning Point’s event, titled “Freedom Built to Last Memorial Honoring Charlie Kirk,” is billed as an opportunity “to remember Charlie Kirk, honor his extraordinary life, and reflect on the lasting legacy that he left behind.” While some Kirk fans plan to attend, UVU’s Students for a Democratic Society characterized the memorial as a “far-right political event” and plan to stage a protest outside. As an anti-abortion Christian, he routinely debated progressive liberals, Muslims, and the LGBT+ community, prompting accusations that Kirk promoted misogyny, Islamophobia, and homophobia across America.
Students received an email from university president Jon Anderson in August where he informed them of the memorial, which he said was a “private event.” “We remain committed to free expression and constructive dialogue, while taking the appropriate steps to ensure those conversations can happen as safely and respectfully as possible,” UVU spokesperson Sharon Turner told The Independent. Turner clarified that the UCCU Center is an event space that UVU shares with Utah County and rents to third parties when it is not in use. Anderson said the decision to close campus for the day would “allow every person to move forward in their own way.” But Grannis said the university has dredged up the trauma of the campus shooting by allowing Turning Point’s memorial to continue.
The Independent understands that neither the cross nor the flag are permanent fixtures on campus and were not placed there by university officials. Nobody wanted to hang out, no one wanted to study,” Grannis said. Speakers at the memorial include conservative commentators Michael Knowles and Glenn Beck.
Turning Point representatives have been handing out flyers for the memorial on campus this week, according to The New York Times, and people wishing to attend can register online. One student told the Times that the memorial was a way to “honor” Kirk, and placed a rose near the plaza where the activist was shot. In response to the backlash, Turner said that Anderson “plans to support all students regardless of their viewpoint,” and he plans to sit with the protesters to “understand their concerns” while also supporting those who are mourning.
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