Today marks one year since Turning Point USA founder and conservative icon Charlie Kirk was horrifically assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, a husband and father of two, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, at the age of 31, while trying to have an open and respectful dialogue with a student at Utah Valley University, where around 3,000 people were in attendance.
The Turning Point USA founder was discussing gun violence with a student when a single shot rang out. The attack, which Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) has described as a targeted political assassination, resulted in a manhunt that continued into the following day.
By September 12, 2025, authorities announced that Tyler Robinson, who was 22 at the time, had turned himself into police.
Etchings on bullet casings in the rifle allegedly used by Robinson were later revealed to read a variety of messages, including one that read: “Hey fascist! Catch!,” and another that said, “bella ciao,” which is associated with left-wing songs, loosely linked to the anti-fascist Italian folk song, “Bella Ciao.”
A lengthy preliminary hearing for Robinson — who has been held without bail — took place over five days in July 2026, and featured testimony about the rooftop position, DNA, a note, and horrific video footage of Kirk’s assassination.
Court resumed on September 1, 2026, at which point Judge Tony Graf ruled the assassin suspect can stand trial for aggravated murder and six other charges.
Robinson, who could face the death penalty if convicted, will appear for a court hearing again on October 23, at which point a trial date is expected to be set.
While Americans of all walks of life mourned the death of the rising star in conservative politics, Kirk’s assassination also sparked ghoulish reactions from leftists, who doubled down on their hateful and violent rhetoric, celebrating the Turning Point USA founder’s murder and continuing to smear him.
For millions of people around the world, this served as a major mask-off and watershed moment, in which the public was been able to see firsthand the shocking depravity and degradation of society.
Unhinged teachers, medical professionals, and public servants were not shy about posting ghoulish online celebrations of Kirk’s assassination, resulting in investigations, suspensions, and firings across the United States this past week.
Ironically, the examples from teachers celebrating Kirk’s murder have highlighted the very issue the Turning Point USA founder spent years exposing — the left-wing extremism that students are exposed to at all levels of the American education system.
Kirk’s assassination has also sparked wild conspiracy theories and internal tensions that have circulated within parts of the conservative movement the Turning Point USA founder helped build.
In the year since, Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, became CEO and chair of Turning Point USA, which has received an outpour of support from supporters of the organization’s founder and free speech martyr.
Today, Turning Point USA will return to the Utah campus where Kirk was assassinated to host a “Freedom Built to Last” memorial in honor of the conservative icon.
The event will be held at the UCCU Center on UVU’s campus at 6:30 p.m., and will be livestreamed on the organization’s social media pages, as well as on Breitbart News’ website.
Alana Mastrangelo-Wrask is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.