The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College Republicans held a candlelight vigil Tuesday in Maclellan Gym to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed last month while speaking at a rally in Utah.
The student group gathered on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday, drawing about 100 attendees that included students and local Republican leaders.
Kaitlyn Garnand, a UTC student and vice president of the organization, said the university offered to move the event to a time other than fall break, but members wanted to keep it Oct. 14.
“We were like, no, this day is important,” Garnand said. “He really was the big brother to our generation. He was the one who got us talking.”