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Hundreds gathered Sunday night in the Utah hometown of alleged gunman Tyler Robinson to honor Charlie Kirk, mourn with his family, and acknowledge the pain of Robinson’s relatives.
Organizer Jordan Hess told the crowd he was “deeply moved” by their attendance.
“I’m grateful that everyone felt the desire and the need to be here in the spirit of community tonight,” he said, clearly emotional.
Hess said the event was organized to “celebrate who we are as Americans – and to mourn … We gather today not as Democrats or Republicans, not as left or right, not as different races or believers of different religions but as citizens of the greatest, most enduring experiment of self-government that the world has ever known.”
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He noted the vigil was also about mourning Kirk’s life, mourning for his family, the family of the alleged shooter, the students who witnessed the tragedy, and “mourning what this moment threatens to say about the state of our union.”
Whether or not people agreed with Kirk’s beliefs, “one truth remains, he was an American, a citizen, a son, a husband and maybe most importantly a voice. He bravely used his voice to advocate for things he believed in: faith, family and freedom,” Hess said.
He added that “political assassination is not just the taking of life, it is the attempted murder of dialogue,” imploring that people should be able to “disagree passionately without destroying one another.”
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Attendee Taylor Crosby told Fox News Digital that he decided to come to the vigil because the “recent attack on free speech is something that should motivate the entire country to come together because when we can’t speak our mind, that’s the death of democracy at that point. So, something needs to change and I want to be the change that we want to see in the world.”
Although he didn’t agree with Kirk on everything, Crosby said he respected his opinions and that he fought for what he believed in.
Crosby said he didn’t know the Robinson family but had heard he was involved in a socialist community in the area.
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“And I’ve had friends that are part of that group, and a lot of them are just filled with hate and vitriol,” he said. “I’ve gotten blocked and removed as friends for having opinions as basic as having a border and not letting in unlimited numbers of migrants. So, there’s definitely a wide extreme of people in this area. Anywhere from people who will come to support free speech to people who will demonize you for having an opinion that 50% of the population believes in. So it’s tough.”
Jesse Wilkinson stood quietly in the crowd wearing a shirt emblazoned with the word “Freedom.”
For Wilkinson, a part-time firefighter from St. George who now lives in Washington, Utah, showing up was about more than politics.
“I just wanted to support my community,” he said. “I know we’re going through a hard time with the alleged shooter being from here and everything. I grew up in St. George… I just wanted to be supportive and share my love and support for all those that are mourning, especially the Kirk family as well as the Robinson family. I know they’re going through a really hard time.”
Wilkinson said he became a firefighter out of a desire to serve, and Kirk’s death struck him deeply.
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“I think he was an amazing, amazing man. He was having an amazing impact. I admire the man, and I know his voice will echo forever.”
He also framed the tragedy as an attack not just on Kirk but on the freedoms he stood for.
“If we’re silent, that’s what’s going to cause violence. We need to come together, we need to talk, and agree to disagree,” he said, echoing Kirk’s words about open debate.
Even his shirt carried meaning. The “freedom” design, a gift from his mother, was a subtle nod to Kirk’s style and the values he represented.
“We’re the greatest country on the face of the planet, and we have amazing freedoms,” Wilkinson said.
For him, the vigil was about honoring Kirk, standing with neighbors, and recommitting to the principles of dialogue and freedom.
Kevin Holyoak shared a similar message. He told Fox News Digital the evening was a time for reflection, adding that the country is going through tough times and urging people to respect differing beliefs.
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“It’s better to talk through things as opposed to taking measures into your own hands that harm somebody else,” he said, noting that violence runs against the values America was built on.
A fan of Kirk, Holyoak described him as “an inspiring young person that got it real early.” He admired how Kirk listened to opposing opinions, treated people with respect, and encouraged open conversation.
“I just think we all need to act that way,” he said.
For him, the vigil was about honoring Kirk’s legacy while urging the community – and the country – to return to dialogue over conflict.
Utah Tech University President Shane Smeed told mourners the vigil was a moment for unity and healing. Speaking personally and not in his official role, Smeed called the past week “an incredibly difficult, tragic week” and urged the community to lean on faith instead of fear.
He reflected on the meaning of unity, describing it as harmony and oneness, and used the image of Canadian geese flying in formation to illustrate how individuals support one another — and what happens when one falls behind. True unity, he said, means ensuring no one is left alone. “To be peacemakers, we have to strive to remove contention and hate in our lives,” Smeed said.
He closed with a prayer for peace, reminding the community that healing would come only through choosing dialogue, compassion, and unity.
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