The assassination of Charlie Kirk hasn’t slowed his conservative youth movement — rather, it has energized it.
“What happened ignited something in me. Like, he let down the flag, I’ve got to pick it up and carry it,” 16-year-old Kieran Owen told AFP.
The Virginia high school student was among 2,500 people attending a Turning Point USA event at Virginia Tech University, four hours outside Washington, on Wednesday evenin.
“We are Charlie,” the crowd chanted. Some attendees wore red caps with President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, others doffing white ones with “47” reflecting his current White House term.
On each seat, organizers had placed a poster featuring a portrait of Kirk against the backdrop of the American flag.
Staff at the “American Comeback Tour” event wore white T-shirts with the word “Freedom,” same as the one Kirk was wearing when he was killed.
The 31-year-old was fatally shot in the neck two weeks ago while speaking at a Utah university as part of his popular public debate series.
Owen recalled discovering Kirk on social media around the time of last year’s presidential election.
“He did a livestream… I watched his livestream until like 1 a.m.,” the soft-spoken teen said. “He really persuaded people.”
A Christian with pro-life beliefs, Owen had been considering attending the Virginia Tech event before Kirk was killed.
“Very shocking to me. No place for that in America,” he said of the political violence.
Kayleigh Finch, wearing a cross and a T-shirt that said simply “Jesus,” told AFP it was “a more important time than ever to attend these kinds of things.”
“Show up and be here to show that you can’t silence a majority like this,” she said.
Levi Testerman, 18, was attending his first political rally.
“I actually kind of looked up to Charlie Kirk,” he said.
“I saw him the first time on TikTok. I really enjoyed his message. I like how he went to college campuses, to talk to younger people, the upcoming voters of America, and I thought it was a great movement.
“What happened really affected me … kind of gave me more of a drive to want to come here today to keep the legacy going that I feel he created. And change more people’s opinions.”
It wasn’t only younger people mobilizing following Kirk’s death.
Melissa Lucas Gardner, a 66-year-old retiree, said she had never heard of Kirk until he was killed.
“I never listened to him until this happened. But as they said, it has created a whole new following,” the former police officer and hospice nurse said.
“I didn’t know him. I know him now, and I’m definitely a follower.”
She continued: “I believe in the mission that he had and what he was trying to do, to bring young people first to faith, faith in something.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, addressed that vision in his speech to the gathering on Wednesday.
“You’ll be the next Charlie,” he told the crowd, before leading them through a prayer.