Community gathers in Mount Sterling for Charlie Kirk vigil

MOUNT STERLING, Ky. (FOX 56) — It’s been a familiar scene across the country for a week now, pictures illuminated by the flicker of a flame, and people shoulder to shoulder mourning the loss of Charlie Kirk.

A conservative activist, Kirk was known for speaking honestly about his political beliefs and his faith.

“He was here preaching the Gospel one minute and then he was in the presence of Jesus the next,” said Shaunna Patton, Montgomery County GOP chair.

It’s something fans of Kirk’s said they respect.

“I love Jesus, and Charlie spoke freedom of Jesus, and that’s what it was all about. He loved, and Jesus loved. We need to not be afraid to speak truth and love,” Angie Tyra, a community member, added.

“I was a huge supporter of Charlie Kirk. I actually voted in my first election this past year, and every day at work, I was able to listen to him every day, and he kind of persuaded me a lot to vote for a certain person,” said Neil Wethington, 19.

At a vigil in Mount Sterling honoring Kirk’s life, hundreds of people came together in song and in prayer.

Among the community members at the vigil was GOP candidate for Kentucky’s Sixth District in the U.S. Congress, Rep. Ryan Dotson.

Although Kirk is dead, Dotson said Kirk’s mission is more alive than ever.

“Vigils are but for a moment. Charlie was about a movement. And I think tonight, as we see, this is more than just candles being lit, it’s keeping that fire that Charlie had in his spirit to keep that moving,” Dotson told FOX 56 in an interview.

As Dotson addressed the crowd, he urged them not to be afraid to profess their faith and continue talking with one another, despite political differences, just as Charlie did.