State Farm Stadium in Arizona to host Charlie Kirk memorial

Turning Point USA will hold a tribute on Sept. 21 to Kirk at the sports stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The stadium is home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and can expand seating up to 73,000 for larger events. The memorial for Kirk is free, though Turning Point encouraged attendees to register beforehand as seating will be first-come, first-served. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have said they would attend and Secret Security spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told CNN that the agency was collaborating with other officials to plan security measures for Kirk’s funeral. Organizers on Monday had not released a schedule for the event or said who would be speaking at the memorial.

What has Kirk’s family said? The Christian conservative activist’s wife, Erika Kirk, spoke Friday live from the set of her husband’s podcast. It was her first public address after Kirk was fatally shot at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. She praised Kirk for his character, faith, and dedication to both the nation and his family. She referred to her husband as a martyr who was killed because he preached a message of patriotism, of faith, and of God’s merciful love. In the wake of Kirk’s tragic assassination, she vowed that his movement would continue and said his death would galvanize more people to stand up for their faith and their values. Turning Point USA events will continue, she said, including the fall college campus tour that kicked off with the event where Kirk was killed. The organization’s AmericaFest conference in December will also go on as planned. Kirk’s podcast will also continue, she said, and Vice President Vance was scheduled to host the show Monday.

What else has happened since his murder? Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Sunday said in interviews with NBC and CNN that the 22-year-old suspect in Kirk’s murder was not cooperating with authorities. While investigators were still trying to determine the suspect’s motive, Cox said he may have been radicalized online and that his family and friends said he had adopted leftist ideology. The suspect was in a romantic relationship with his male roommate who Cox said identified as transgender and was cooperating with police. But officials had not determined if the shooter’s sexuality factored into his motive, the governor added.

Meanwhile, communities and schools across the country and around the world held memorials over the weekend to honor Kirk. In Washington, D.C., the Trump administration held a prayer vigil at the Kennedy Center. Politicians, faith leaders, and other officials spoke during the service and called on attendees and those watching online to stand up for their beliefs and to seek the Lord.

Dig deeper: Read Joe Rigney’s opinion piece about how Christians should think of the early church as they respond to Kirk’s assassination.