Charlie Kirk: UVU grapples with grief after campus shooting
UVU announces plans to honor Charlie Kirk
The president of Utah Valley University says an early plan to honor Charlie Kirk should be announced next week. She also shared how the tragedy on campus is impacting students and the community.
OREM, Utah - The president of Utah Valley University says an early plan to honor Charlie Kirk should be announced next week. She also shared how the tragedy on campus is impacting students and the community.
"When I see the space behind me, I feel a tremendous amount of grief. In part, that's because I understand loss," said Astrid Tuminez, president of Utah Valley University. "So the pain, the hurt, the grief, it's real. We are human. And I have been emphasizing here at UVU that we must elevate our human connection. It is really only in that sphere of human connection that we begin to heal."
What we know:
As the investigation moves forward, deputies say that before the suspect turned himself in, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson implied that he planned to kill himself after his parents confronted him about looking like the suspected shooter. A negotiation between the suspect and authorities followed, and Robinson finally agreed to turn himself in, with help from a mutual friend who is a retired deputy.
"For a peaceful, gentle, comfortable transition for him to come out again. He knew he was going to get caught. He didn't want a big SWAT team hitting his parents’ house or his apartment. He was truly fearful of being shot by law enforcement. So the conditions were as relaxed and comfortable and almost to the point of, you know, inviting," said Nate Brooksby, Washington County Sheriff.
What they're saying:
There were early reports the suspect might have warned others ahead of time about the attack, but the Utah Public Safety Commissioner, who's leading the investigation for the state, told FOX they haven't found anything to back that up.
"We've seen the text messages that have been released that show that after the incident happened, people were made aware that it had happened," said Beau Mason, Utah DPS Commissioner. "Really important to clarify that at this point, none of the evidence we released shows that anybody knew this was going to happen besides Tyler Robinson, before this incident occurred."
Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, elected CEO of Turning Point USA
Following her husband Charlie Kirk's assassination, Erika Kirk has been elected CEO and chair of the board for Phoenix-based Turning Point USA.
What's next:
As Turning Point USA announced Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika, as its new CEO, we also know the group's campus tour will stop right back here in Utah at the end of the month at Utah State University. That happens to be the same school where the alleged assassin briefly enrolled before dropping out. In a statement, the university said it’s "actively preparing for the event," working with local, state, and federal partners to keep people safe.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from interviews with UVU President Astrid Tuminez and Beau Mason, Utah DPS Commissioner, along with previous FOX coverage.