Liberty University Students Vow to Carry on Charlie Kirk’s Mission After Assassination
The assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, has resulted in a worldwide outpouring of grief.
Liberty University (LU)—home to one of the nation’s most vigorous TPUSA chapters and a campus where Kirk frequently spoke—was especially affected by his murder.
Kirk’s connection to LU was significant. In 2019, he received an honorary doctorate from the university “in recognition of his work and dedication to courageously promote American freedom and defend our common liberties on behalf of young students in colleges and high schools across the country,” as well as “for his example and inspiration to young people everywhere of what can be achieved when faith, conviction, and hard work are put into practice.”
Following the fatal shooting on September 10th, 2025, the private evangelical university held a vigil where students gathered in clusters on the campus lawn, lifting Kirk’s family up in prayer.
In the days after his assassination, controversy arose over how the broader Christian community should understand the death of Kirk, a husband and father of two. While many mourners hailed Kirk as a martyr for his vocal defense of Christian values in the public square, one pastor went viral for calling him “an unapologetic racist and spent all of his life sowing seeds of division and hate into this land,”—a statement that many Christians denounce as a thinly veiled justification for his murder, or, as Wenyuan Wu puts it, an example of how leftists turn to “whataboutism“ instead of condemning Kirk’s killing.
[RELATED: Leftists Turn to Whataboutism Instead of Condemning Kirk’s Killing]
In response, LU’s Standing for Freedom Center—originally named the Falkirk Center, a combination of Charlie Kirk’s name and that of Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell—defended Kirk’s witness, saying, “make no mistake, Charlie Kirk did die a Christian martyr.”
“Charlie wasn’t a racist, fascist, Nazi, homophobe, transphobe, or any of the other disgusting epithets hateful Leftists are trying to use to smear his name and tarnish his legacy,” the SFFC declared. “He was a husband, father, son, patriot, free speech champion, debater, successful political strategist, and, above all else, a Christian.”
The statement included a broader call to action, saying, “Charlie Kirk’s assassination demands that we pick up his ‘bloody microphone’ and carry on his mission to go boldly into the public square and proclaim that the Christian faith must ground, inform, and rule our lives and our politics.”
When asked by Minding the Campus, LU students echoed the sentiment.
One LU graduate, Cassidy Stolec, shared how “in a time where COVID lockdowns were going on around the world and the country, Charlie gave students the opportunity to come together and listen to conservative voices at the Student Action Summit in 2020.” She continued, “Little did I know that SAS would be the place I met so many of my friends, and my future husband.”
Stolec is one of many students who find themselves empowered by his death to renew their commitment to the fight for truth. She told Minding the Campus of her dedication to “continue the legacy he started because I am tired of being silent in fear of being canceled or fired! I will forever be changed by Charlie Kirk and now I will use my voice to help be the change he started.”
Emma Dayton, president of the Young Women for America chapter at LU, expressed the effect of Kirk’s assassination on her life to Minding the Campus.
Charlie died protecting the sacred freedoms that his enemies twisted for evil, and somehow the Lord in his loving-kindness has turned this evil act for good, igniting a worldwide fire within the hearts of individuals young and old. Even days after Charlie’s death, I find it difficult to listen to any music that isn’t Christian or see any social media posts that aren’t about Charlie. The martyr of a fellow believer really puts things into perspective, and I never want to lose this longing and expectant feeling for Heaven that I’ve had the past few days.
Various sources have noted the number of non-Christians, especially college students who aren’t regular church-goers, flocking to attend services following Kirk’s assassination. Both Charlie and Erika Kirk, herself a graduate of LU, have had a profound influence on the spiritual journeys of students.
Halli Gravley, a communications major at LU, told Minding the Campus how, after meeting Kirk at just fifteen years old, “his encouragement and advice that day led me to start a TPUSA activism hub in my hometown while in high school and ignited a passion within me to proclaim truth.”
She continued, “I then met Erika and have been constantly encouraged in my walk with the Lord by her ministry and her BIBLEin365 program,” in which participants read the Bible cover-to-cover in one year.
“I am immensely grateful for the Kirks’ impact in my life, not only the professional experience and knowledge I have gained, but for the reminder of the significance of the most important things: Faith, Family, and Freedom. Jesus is the reason for it all,” Gravley concluded. “We saw this evidently through Charlie’s life, and may we, as the younger generation, move forward in proclaiming truth and sharing the gospel.”
Despite general bipartisan condemnation of the assassination, some left-wing university professors took to spewing hatred and celebrating the tragedy on social media. And leftist students took to vandalism. The University of Tennessee- Knoxville’s “The Rock,” a symbol of free expression on campus weighing 97.5 tons, which featured a mural of Kirk and the words “Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant,” was defaced and the words obscured within hours of the memorial.
Still, countless events intent on honoring Kirk’s influence and legacy proceed with minimal disruption. LU was joined by numerous other universities in mourning Kirk, with vigils being held across the nation in his honor, including at Grand Canyon University, Colorado State, Texas A&M, and Utah Valley, the campus on which Kirk was killed.
Liberty University continues to honor the legacy of the legendary conservative activist. Most recently, its students have been sporting TPUSA gear and America-themed clothing, and at the football game against James Madison University, they observed a moment of silence in Kirk’s honor, recognizing “the weight of this tremendous loss.”
The transformative power of Charlie Kirk on America’s youth has only multiplied following his assassination. In addition to personally touching the lives of so many students, at the time of this article’s publishing, over 54,000 requests for new Turning Point USA chapters have reportedly been submitted nationwide, ensuring that his legacy will never diminish.
“When a tyrant dies, his reign ends; When a martyr dies, his reign begins.” – Soren Kierkegaard
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