On the evening of September 26, 2025, the campus of UC Santa Barbara became a focal point for remembrance and reflection, as approximately 150 people gathered in Campbell Hall to honor the late Charlie Kirk. Just sixteen days earlier, Kirk—a polarizing conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA—was shot and killed by a gunman during an event at Utah Valley University. The vigil at UCSB was one of several memorials held across North America, underscoring both Kirk’s influence and the deep divisions his legacy continues to evoke.
The event, organized by UCSB’s chapter of Turning Point USA, opened with the mournful sound of a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace.” Attendees watched a remembrance video from Turning Point USA’s YouTube channel, highlighting Kirk’s impact on the contemporary conservative movement. According to the Daily Nexus, the university offered Campbell Hall as a venue, preferring it over a required security presence elsewhere—an indication of the heightened emotions and potential for conflict surrounding Kirk’s memory.
Joshua Medeiros, president of the UCSB Turning Point chapter and a third-year student majoring in history of public policy and law, spoke candidly about the personal impact Kirk had on his life. After hearing Kirk speak at UCSB in 2023, Medeiros said he was drawn to Christianity and commended Kirk’s commitment to “peaceful open dialogue.” Medeiros described Kirk as “one of the most gifted minds [he’d] ever witnessed,” before leading the audience in a prayer based on John 15:13. The prayer set a contemplative tone for the evening, blending personal testimony with spiritual reflection.
The vigil’s religious focus intensified with a sermon delivered by Pentecostal preacher Keith Hudson and his wife, Mary Hudson. Mary recounted meeting Kirk just a month prior, recalling his controversial assertion that “we cannot support Islam in the United States of America, because they don’t come to assimilate, they come to conquer.” She described sensing Kirk’s anxiety about his safety, saying, “I could see that he was visibly a little shaken by that, that he had been anticipating an attack against him.”
Keith Hudson, taking the stage after his wife, lamented the loss of Kirk and warned the audience that “we are living in the end times.” He cautioned that Christians and conservatives should expect more attacks on their beliefs and faith, before concluding with a group prayer. The sermon reflected the broader sense of vulnerability and urgency felt by many in the room, as well as a belief that Kirk’s death was part of a larger spiritual struggle.
Other speakers echoed these themes. Dylan Wakayama, former president of UCSB College Republicans and now a statewide deputy director of California College Republicans, cited Bible verses Matthew 5:13 and 1 Corinthians 11:1. He praised Kirk’s faith and argued that it offered solutions to America’s problems. “We have a country to save, and all of us have a part in that,” Wakayama declared. “Now more than ever, have courage, be the salt, the light and God’s imitators and disciples on Earth.”
Christy Lozano, representing Santa Barbara County Republicans, spoke about Kirk’s ability to engage with people’s core beliefs. “He listened and he responded with incredible knowledge, insight and wisdom. He truly had a gift for getting to the core beliefs in people and undoing them,” Lozano said. “I believe what Charlie was doing was very biblical and a gift from God.” She also called for forgiveness, noting, “The devil’s biggest enemy is forgiveness, because it brings us together. Charlie was a true soldier in the army of Christ. He sacrificed his time, his talent, his treasure and ultimately his life.”
The floor was then opened for public comment, allowing audience members—many of whom chose not to identify themselves—to share their own stories about Kirk’s influence. One speaker praised Kirk’s intellect and his ability to “speak truth,” linking that truth directly to the Bible. Another, a rideshare driver familiar with UCSB students, observed that Kirk’s 2023 visit had encouraged young men in Isla Vista to embrace masculinity, even if they came from “radicalized leftist families.”
Charles DiMauro, founder of the 805 Patriots—a local conservative event group—credited Kirk with inspiring him to expand his organization. “Meeting Charlie pushed me a little farther than basically seeing what Turning Point was, and hopefully see if I could somewhat turn my organization to somewhere as close as possible to his,” DiMauro shared. His aim, he said, was to encourage others to stand up for their beliefs in God, Jesus, Trump, and country.
The evening concluded with remarks from Mark Lucas and Ben Corbett, two former TPUSA UCSB chapter presidents who had organized Kirk’s 2023 campus visit. Corbett reflected on Kirk’s contribution to the resurgence of conservatism and Christianity, proclaiming, “At the end of the day, [Kirk] spread the gospel. He has spurred this revival. The enemy has no idea what they did by killing Charlie Kirk. The enemy has no idea because the type of revival that we are seeing is unlike anything I think any of us have ever seen.” The bagpiper returned, rounding the hall as the audience honored Kirk one last time, and Corbett led a “call to Jesus” prayer for a visibly moved attendee in the front row.
Josef Masser, a local high school senior, attended the vigil and later shared his thoughts in an interview. “Charlie Kirk and his organization, Turning Point, has been really relatable to young people, and I’ve seen that it’s really an effective strategy,” he said. “I’d like to see a return to traditional values in the United States, and I would also like to see more respect for what this country was built off of. So the Constitution, biblical values, that kind of thing.”
While the UCSB vigil centered on American conservatism, Kirk’s death also resonated north of the border. On September 30, hundreds gathered in Windsor, Canada, for a candlelight vigil at Dieppe Gardens. The event coincided with Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day honoring Indigenous survivors of the residential school system. According to CBC, the Windsor vigil focused heavily on Kirk’s promotion of Christian nationalism, with speakers advocating for more Christianity in government. Jeremy Palko, who opened the event, declared, “I am a white Christian male who loves God and loves people, and believes wholeheartedly that we need more, much more Christianity in our governments and institutions.”
Attendees in Windsor included Mike Bastien, who said he supported Kirk’s messages about loving Jesus, marriage, and support for Israel. Bastien expressed hope that more Canadian leaders would align with biblical values. Still, the timing and focus of the vigil drew criticism from some. Protesters on the sidelines objected to holding the event on a day meant to honor Indigenous peoples, with one, Sierra Hodgson, remarking, “It’s National Truth and Reconciliation Day and this is what people are choosing to do [with] their time — support somebody who’s not even Canadian, first of all, and somebody who is as hateful as he is.” Another protester, Sean Dixon, questioned why Canadians would celebrate someone who opposed gun reform, especially given ongoing concerns about mass shootings in the U.S.
Palko, the Windsor organizer, responded to criticism by emphasizing freedom of choice, noting that Truth and Reconciliation was mentioned during the event. “They were free to have their events as we are free to have our events,” he said.
Across both the U.S. and Canada, the vigils for Charlie Kirk reveal the resonance—and controversy—of his message. For his supporters, Kirk’s death is a rallying point for renewed commitment to conservative and Christian values. For his critics, the memorials serve as a reminder of the deep societal divisions over religion, politics, and the meaning of reconciliation. As the bagpipes faded and prayers were said, the debate over Charlie Kirk’s legacy is far from settled.
