After the assassination of conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk, college students in Utah County are grappling with the violence that took place in their community.
“I've never witnessed anything like this in my life,” said 22-year-old Utah Valley University student Jeb Jacobi. “I literally watched a man die in front of me.”
Jacobi volunteered with UVU’s chapter of Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, to help set up the Sept. 10 speaking event on the Orem Campus. The sophomore was in the crowd when he heard the pop of a single gunshot that struck Kirk in the neck. He saw Kirk collapse and saw the blood.
Jacobi admired Kirk after discovering his videos on social media. Kirk, who died at the age of 31, was known for successfully bringing young people to the Republican Party and into the Trump fold.
“The whole venue was filled, and then it just completely changed after that gunshot.”
Since the shooting, Jacobi has cried, prayed with friends and gone to therapy. He feels traumatized.
“I’m planning on bringing flowers to the spot where Charlie was shot. It’s just really heartbreaking because I’m gonna have to walk by that place almost every day. And I might not walk around that section,” Jacobi said. “I’m trying not to cry.”
While the Orem campus is closed until Sept. 15, some individuals still gathered on the grounds Thursday to grieve and pay their respects. Many were men in their early 20s who, like Jacobi, discovered Kirk on social media. For them, his words resonated.
That includes UVU sophomore Koby Herrera, who also witnessed the shooting. Walking through the areas that weren’t closed off with yellow caution tape, Herrera wore a bright red Make America Great Again hat.
Yesterday, Herrera said he was in disbelief that a political assassination had happened in Utah. One day later, he said it still feels like a dream.
“You can still see the tent, and you can see everything,” Herrera said. “It still doesn't seem real.”
Herrera said he thinks Kirk’s messages will be bigger now and will get more young people politically active.
“It makes me want to be louder,” Herrera said.
He said he thinks that is what Kirk would tell him to do.
“I don’t think we should silence anyone in America. We’re supposed to have freedom of speech.”
![Alex Shepherd and Bradley Heidmen, both in their early 20s, stand on UVU’s campus holding a sign that reads “The Democrats Killed Charlie Kirk imo [in my opinion],” Sept. 11, 2025. They both live in Boise, Idaho, but drove to Orem almost immediately after hearing that Charlie Kirk had been shot.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7964e3e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5400x3600+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F75%2F5a%2F946217944f549f64f1898639252e%2F20250911-mh-dsc01045.jpg)
Two men in their early 20s drove from Boise, Idaho, after hearing of the shooting. They stood on the campus grounds holding a sign that said, “The Democrats killed Charlie Kirk.”
Jacobi wants to be “as bipartisan as possible right now.” He doesn’t want to speculate about motives or condemn political parties before a suspect is found and brought to justice. Things are too fresh, Jacobi said, for him to say what his future looks like as a politically involved student and what impact this will have on him.
At nearby Brigham Young University in Provo, campus life appeared to continue as normal the day after the shooting. There were students outside in the sun, doing homework. But across campus, students were talking and thinking about the murder.
Freshman Lexi Larsen said she looked up to Kirk — she liked some of his points and admired his ability to articulate himself.
“I was shocked and sad about it,” Larsen said. “I think it’s really sad that he was killed for, you know, freedom of speech.”
Larsen is also sad that she was not more shocked by the news. She was surprised it took place in Utah, but not surprised that the shooting happened since it was in a public space outside.
“I think that’s one of the saddest parts about it,” Larsen said. “Is that that’s kind of the world that we’re living in right now.”
Fellow BYU freshman Brittney Simagna was not familiar with Kirk before his death, but she discussed the shooting with other students in one of her classes. To her, the assassination signifies how divided the country is.
“Nothing that is broken can be strong until we fix it,” Simagna said. “I think this is an opportunity for us to recognize that, and recognize that we need to fix the things that we’ve broken.”
Students statewide can talk to a counselor for free through the Safe UT website and app. If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
