Charlie Kirk vigil in Zionsville draws hundreds

A crowd gathered in Zionsville Sunday night to honor the life of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in Utah earlier this month. WFYI estimated hundreds were in attendance as bagpipes played to start the event.

Valerie Swack is president of the Boone County Republican Women's Club, which organized the vigil in Mulberry Fields.

"Because we're just one little group, we can do something big, and everybody is mourning," Swack said. "And it's something tangible that you can do to bring people together to celebrate a phenomenal man."

Swack said she received dozens of texts and calls from people offering to volunteer for the event. One of those volunteers was Nicole Molinaro.

Molinaro said she wanted to help because she believes conversations are being shut down in the country, and Charlie Kirk wanted conversation.

"I think no matter what you feel in America you should be able to have freedom of speech," Molinaro said.

The fallout from Kirk's assassination has loomed large in nationwide conversations over the last week, and issues around free speech related to the killing have become a point of focus.

Many GOP politicians have called for consequences to people who share negative statements in the wake of Kirk's killing. Some people have lost jobs over their comments.

Swack said Kirk was a champion of free speech, and held the First Amendment very dear. She said the way to win hearts and minds is by having civil dialogues, and that free speech is what makes America great.

"The speech that isn't resonating with people, that person has their right to say it," Swack said.
 

The role political rhetoric played in Kirk's killing has become another point of contention. There have been calls from both sides of the aisle to tone down harsh rhetoric, such as from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a Republican.

Swack said she mourns every time someone loses their life, whether they agree with her views or not.

"I don't care what side of the aisle that they are on, or who they love, or where they live, or what color their skin is, nobody deserves to be gunned down in cold blood," Swack said.

Molinaro said she thinks everyone needs to change their rhetoric. But she said in her experience, one side engages in more name-calling.

"And I hate to be like that, 'sides,' because we are one country, but we all have to have conversation and that's what he stood for," Molinaro said.

The Zionsville vigil came on the same day tens of thousands showed up for a memorial service held in Glendale, Arizona. President Donald Trump at the service called Kirk a "martyr now for American freedom."

Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Contact WFYI Digital Producer and Reporter Zach Bundy at zbundy@wfyi.org