Charlie Kirk's tour to continue, including stop at Utah State

FBI agents investigate the area where Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University in Orem on Thursday.

FBI agents investigate the area where Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University in Orem on Thursday. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — In emotional remarks Friday evening, Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, said his "American Comeback Tour" would continue.

"Our campus tour this fall will continue," she said. "There will be even more tours in the years to come. AmericaFest here in Phoenix this December will go on. It will be greater than ever. The radio and podcast show that he was so proud of will go on. And in a world filled with chaos, doubt and uncertainty, my husband's voice will remain. And it will ring out louder and more clearly than ever. And his wisdom will endure."

Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of Turning Point Action, confirmed to the Deseret News that the tour would continue this fall, including a stop at Utah State University on Sept. 30.

Well-wishers add balloons to a makeshift memorial set up at Turning Point USA headquarters after the shooting death at a Utah college on Wednesday of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of the organization, Thursday in Phoenix.
Well-wishers add balloons to a makeshift memorial set up at Turning Point USA headquarters after the shooting death at a Utah college on Wednesday of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of the organization, Thursday in Phoenix. (Photo: Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press)

Kirk, 31, was assassinated at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, the first stop on his planned fall tour of college campuses. The suspect in his murder, Tyler James Robinson, 22, was taken into custody Thursday night.

At UVU, Kirk was sitting under a pop-up tent at the bottom of an outdoor amphitheater. He had private security with him, and there were six police officers at the event in addition to an unknown number of plain-clothes officers, according to law enforcement officials.

Police believe Kirk's killer was on the roof of a building overlooking the event space.

It is not yet clear what additional security measures will be in place ahead of future tour stops, including at USU.

Law enforcement sets up a barricade after Charlie Kirk was shot during Turning Point USA’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday.
Law enforcement sets up a barricade after Charlie Kirk was shot during Turning Point USA’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. (Photo: Tess Crowley, Deseret News)

It is also unknown who will appear in place of Kirk.

The next stop of the tour is at Colorado State University on Thursday, where Kirk planned to host both a "Prove Me Wrong" table and an evening event.

Contributing: Brigham Tomco

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Suzanne Bates, Deseret NewsSuzanne Bates
Suzanne Bates is the national politics editor for Deseret News.
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