The killing of political activist Charlie Kirk has not slowed his movement; in fact, it has done the opposite, as reported by AFP.

On Wednesday evening, more than 2,500 people attended a Turning Point USA event at Virginia Tech University. The crowd chanted “We are Charlie” throughout the event.

Sixteen-year-old Kieran Owen, a high school student from Virginia, said Kirk’s death motivated him. 

“What happened ignited something in me. Like, he let down the flag, I've got to pick it up and carry it,” he told AFP. Owen discovered Kirk on social media during last year’s presidential election.

“He did a live stream... I watched his live stream until like 1 am. He really persuaded people,” he said.

American Comeback Tour

The “American Comeback Tour” event paid tribute to Kirk. Each seat had a poster of him against the American flag, and staff wore white T-shirts with the word “Freedom”, the same shirt Kirk was wearing when he was killed.

Some attendees wore red “Make America Great Again” caps, while others wore white caps marked “47”, referring to Donald Trump’s current presidential term.

Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck two weeks ago while speaking at a university in Utah as part of his public debate series.