Visalia memorial service for Charlie Kirk draws hundreds after visit to the city
VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Hundreds gathered in Visalia on Sunday night, where they lit candles and united in prayer to mourn Charlie Kirk.
Organizers Sue Jackson and Ann Marie Paden say Kirk supported Tulare-Kings Resources for Life, a pro-life nonprofit.
"Charlie Kirk was there behind us," Jackson said. "He spoke the message of life to people, talked about the value of life and talked about us all standing up for it."
The conservative activist was gunned down on September 10 at Utah Valley University.
His death came a week after a keynote speech in the South Valley that drew 2,500 people to hear him speak at Visalia First.
Luciana Taylor, the president of Redwood High School's Turning Point USA chapter, had dinner with Kirk.
"He was so kind, and he was so caring," Luciana said. "Maybe sometimes that gets missed when he's speaking online because he is arguing when he is online, but the man I met - He was a family man."
Luciana vowed Kirk's death would do nothing to silence his signature Turning Point movement.
"He created millions of little Charlie Kirks," she said. "He ignited something within us that we should not be punished for what we say."
As the mourners gathered in Visalia, thousands more attended a memorial service in Arizona.
Kirk was a close friend of the Trumps.
"Charlie was one of the few who always gave more than he took," President Trump said in Arizona on Sunday. "He was a giver much more than a taker."
Kirk's widow, Erika, later said she forgives her husband's accused killer.
"It's the mercy that comes from God," Paden told Action News.
Kirk's supporters are now embracing his legacy of free speech and debate, even as some say his views and approach are more complicated.
"If you want to be out there protesting, that's fine," Paden said. "That's your right in this country, but we're still here for you."
A National Day of Remembrance is set for October 14.
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