Vigil held for Charlie Kirk at Utah State Capitol Rotunda after his death

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A vigil was held at the Utah State Capitol Rotunda for Charlie Kirk, the conservative influencer who was

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shot and killed at a speaking event on UVU campus earlier today.

The vigil began at 7 p.m., and it was hosted by members of the Utah House of Representatives. It featured large photos of Kirk and his family, and many speakers lead the crowd in prayers. The crowd stood hand in hand with their heads down in prayer, honoring Kirk and showing support for his family.

ABC4 spoke to one woman who brought flowers and placed them beneath Kirk’s photos. She said that her family followed Kirk for some time, and they had a deep appreciation for his ability to have respectful disagreements and discussions with people with conflicting political views.

“Charlie was a very strong conservative man with Christian values,” she said. “It was a very touching moment for all of us to be together honoring him in prayer and asking God to take care of his family and watch over everyone involved in this horrific incident.”

Charlie Kirk was a conservative influencer and co-founder of Turning Point USA. He was appearing at UVU as part of his American Comeback Tour. The event was hosted by the UVU chapter of Turning Point USA, and it was held at 12 p.m. in the UVU Courtyard.

According to a UVU spokesperson, at 12:20 this afternoon, “a single shot rang out in the quad near the food court” at the UVU Orem campus as Charlie Kirk began speaking at his event. Initially, UVU said that a suspect was in custody but still advised students to shelter in place, cancelled all classes, and closed the campus.

Orem Police Department first took a suspect into custody, but they later cleared and released that individual. A different person of interest was in custody, local officials confirmed, but FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the person of interest had been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. The shooter is still at large.

Following the shooting, statements condemning political violence and expressing support for Kirk’s family have been pouring in from politicians and other public figures. President Donald Trump was the first to announce that Kirk had died from his injuries, calling him “the great, and even legendary, Charlie Kirk.”

ABC4.com also spoke to several witnesses to the shooting, who described the harrowing experience and raised questions about the security at the event.