Candles, flowers and American flags were strewn across a table set up at Medallion Plaza, honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk during the College Republicans’ vigil for Kirk at Elon University.
The vigil was held at Medallion Plaza on Sept. 21 and around 40 students and community members attended. Kirk was killed at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 while doing one of many events around the country speaking and debating with college students. Kirk’s funeral was also held Sept. 21 with figures such as President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and many members of Trump’s cabinet attending.
The Elon College Republicans hosted the event, along with students planning to organize a Turning Point USA at Elon, and began the event with a prayer. Junior Parker Stevens, a new member of the College Republicans, led a prayer for both Kirk and his family, but also for forgiveness for Kirk’s killer. Stevens ended the opening portion of the vigil leading the attendees in the Hail Mary and Our Father prayers.
A couple students and community members spoke in front of the crowd about what Kirk meant to them before the rest of the crowd mingled and paid their respects to a table with Kirk’s picture on it.
Vice President of College Republicans Payton Brinn said they decided to host the vigil to honor Kirk’s life, and said that they were pleasantly surprised by how many people decided to come.
Anne Lewis, a local resident, attended the vigil and said that Kirk’s death has lit a fire in her and many others.
“A lot of us are thinking we need to take up the mantle and follow and keep doing what he was doing,” Lewis said. “To be courageous, to preach the gospel, to share with others American ideals and try to resurrect a lot of things that have been lost in our society.”
Lewis said that despite the nature of Kirk’s death, her faith helps her believe that it was the purpose of God and was meant to be.
Stevens, who is also an engagement intern for the Catholic Campus Ministry, said that it was important for people to come out to the vigil because Kirk died on a college campus.
“This is where we need to speak. Universities are supposed to be places where we can come and we can talk about different opinions,” Stevens said. “We're supposed to be able to talk about a ton of different opinions and just get to know what the other side thinks and why they think that.”
Stevens was happy to see the turnout at the vigil and said it shows the future of America. He said it proves that Gen Z is becoming politicized. Stevens said a big reason Kirk was impactful to him was Kirk’s connection to his faith.
“He was a very big advocate for faith, especially. So I think that he would be very proud of a lot of the students here who are very public about their faith and aren't afraid to share it and make it known,” Stevens said.
Six students protested the vigil at Speaker’s Corner on Young Commons by holding posters with various messages written. One of them read, “Where was this rage for gun violence sooner?”
The six students with posters along with about 10 other students marched down to Medallion Plaza as the vigil ended. They crossed paths with some of the attendees of the vigil, but it stayed civil as they wished each other a “blessed night.” Students took pictures of them holding their posters where the vigil had taken place once it had been cleared. Campus Police, including Chief of Campus Safety and Police Joe Lemire, was present throughout the vigil.
Senior Azul Bellot said she decided to protest the vigil to bring more awareness.
“I'm coming with the intention to bring more awareness of what's happening in the United States, and why is it that certain people who have status or identities, why is it that these individuals are getting more attention than other people, more specifically marginalized communities,” Bellot said. “I’m not saying that they're not getting attention, but why is it that one is getting more movement, more sympathy.”
Bellot said she sympathizes with Kirk’s children but does not stand for what he believed in. She emphasized the need for stricter gun laws to prevent events like this.
Freshman Aniyah Gordon, who also protested, said she wants people to understand that they are being selective with their empathy by choosing to be vocal about Kirk’s death but not issues like the border or Gaza City.
“It was definitely a sad thing because no one deserves to be shot. But in my personal opinion, this is not something he himself would be sad about had it happened to any other person,” Gordon said. “This is something he actually advocated for. He said, and I quote, ‘gun violence and gun deaths are necessary for us to keep our Second Amendment.’”
Kirk did say something to this effect in 2023 while at a TPUSA event.
“I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,” Kirk said.
Gordon said that she and the other protesters wished the attendees of the vigil a good night because it is important to understand that they are trying to promote peace. She said often liberals are seen as violent.
“There's this push that you're rioting or that you're being violent or aggressive, or that you're antagonizing the other side,” Gordon said. “When, in reality, that's not what we're doing. If anything, we're trying to promote peace and harmony.”
Fiona McAllister contributed to the reporting of this story.