A year after conservative leader Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a college event in Utah, Republicans gathering in Dallas for the GOP midterm convention shared emotional reflections on the Turning Point USA founder’s legacy and the void his death left in the conservative movement.
Kirk was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” event at Utah Valley University in Orem on September 10, 2025, when he was struck in the neck by a single gunshot. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after.
“Charlie Kirk is a wonderful man, and he is very much missed,” Marsha Landry of Texas told Fox News Digital at the American Airlines Center. “He was making a lot of progress in this country, especially among the youth. I know personally some of our children have really started paying attention.”
The suspect in the case, Tyler Robinson, was 22 at the time of the incident. Prosecutors say Robinson fired from a rooftop overlooking the outdoor quad where Kirk was addressing a crowd. Robinson allegedly fled the scene, abandoning his rifle in a wooded area near campus.
A statewide manhunt ended the following night when Robinson surrendered to authorities in St. George, Utah — about four hours south of the university campus. His parents reportedly convinced him to turn himself in.
“It’s a daily reminder that we have to have courage to go out there and spread the message, not only of just conservatism, but our faith as well.”
Jacquez Jones, a young convention attendee, said Kirk’s influence endures even after his death.
“It’s a daily reminder that we have to have courage to go out there and spread the message, not only of just conservatism, but our faith as well,” Jones said. “And so on this anniversary, I look back at not only what Charlie Kirk was able to accomplish, but the things that even in his passing he’s still able to do.”
Kirk left behind his wife Erika and two young children. He was 31 years old at the time of the incident.
Mike Hurst of Mississippi described the moment he first learned what happened.
“It was one of the most gut-wrenching feelings I’ve ever seen, and of course, I went online, I saw the video, and to this day I’m still shocked that that could happen in our country,” Hurst said. He added that the country needs more people like Kirk who encourage civil dialogue instead of political violence.
Pre-trial proceedings in Robinson’s case continue. The case has been marked by legal battles over media access to the courtroom and motions attempting to remove the death penalty as a possible sentence.
The charges remain allegations. The case has not been proven in court.
Alex Stone of Missouri said young conservatives are searching for leadership in Kirk’s absence.
“Since Charlie’s assassination, people have been lost,” Stone said. “People have been looking for a voice or a leader to lead them in the right direction, and so we need people who are going to stand up and rise up and say, ‘this is what is good, this is what is true, this what is beautiful.’ And ‘this is wrong, and here’s what we should do in the face of it.'”
