Eleven days later after right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, the campus — now adorned with flowers, mementos and sidewalk chalk messages — stands silent, only disquieted by a steady flow of mourners in quiet conversation.
Returning to campus
Utahns of all ages were gathered at the university; some to pay respects, some to find peace after witnessing Kirk’s death.
Kyle Pastor, a Brigham Young University (BYU) student who was in attendance when Kirk died, said that returning to the scene was “healing.”
At first, Pastor and his friends weren’t aware of what was going on. They then saw Kirk fall and everyone started running, he said.
“We all hid behind this wall for like, 10 to 15 seconds, and then we all just ran,” Pastor said. “Honestly, it kind of puts you in shock.” The impact of the shooting and his proximity to the event didn’t settle until later that day, Pastor told The Chronicle.
Payton VanSteenkiste, a student at BYU, described the scene’s environment as “heavy” yet uplifting.
“It is kind of awesome to see everyone just gathering in unity,” VanSteenkiste said. “It’s so horrific what happened, but people are able to kind of just gather together and find some sort of peace.”
Lewis Bever, a senior at UVU, said that the campus has always been a commuter school with a “disconnected” student body, but that the atmosphere changed after the shooting.
“[Students] just come here to get a degree and move on,” Bever said. “Now, I feel like there’s a lot more people that are taking pride in being a UVU student and being together.”
A corner on the UVU campus where Pastor hid after Kirk was shot, Sept. 21, 2025. (Photo by Addy Cowley | The Daily Utah Chronicle)
Shifts in safety policies and university resources
Directly following the shooting, both UVU and BYU offered mental health resources to students who needed help processing the event.
“[BYU] made sure everyone knew that therapists were readily available,” Pastor said. “I feel like they handled [the situation] pretty well.”
Other Utah schools, such as Weber State University, Utah State University and the University of Utah offer mental health resources for students, as well.
Recently graduated UVU student Austin Bauer said during his time at the school, campus police and security were always on campus. However, he never thought much of it.
“I never really felt like there was a huge need for a lot of security,” Bauer said.
Police are stationed at UVU 24/7 and will most likely be for the next few months, a UVU police officer told The Chronicle. The site of the shooting will be blocked off until next spring. BYU, located 11 minutes away from UVU, has now increased security measures on campus, according to Pastor.
A memorial for Charlie Kirk at the UVU campus in Orem, Utah on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (Photo by Addy Cowley | The Daily Utah Chronicle)
Moving forward
Given the varied reactions to the nature of Kirk’s death, Pastor said the public must be able to disagree and still be able to have honest conversations.
“I think kind of what Charlie thought, [which was that] we should all stand up for our beliefs,” he said. “I don’t think you should stop anyone from sharing their opinions and their beliefs.”
VanSteenkiste discussed the importance of open dialogue.
“The biggest source of strength in person is being able to understand two different values of where people might stand, still have different opinions and still be able to respect each other,” VanSteenkiste said.
Given the shared experience, Bauer said that students must put their political views aside and “lean on each other.”
“We’re all family, we’re all humans,” Bauer said. “I hope this brings people together.”
Kelly Ryskamp, an Orem local who works 6 miles from campus, said the tragedy’s proximity makes unity not just a campus concern, but a statewide one. “How could it have happened in Utah?” Ryskamp said. “It feels like an extra layer of grief.
This story was written for The Daily Utah Chronicle at the University of Utah by news editor Addy Cowley and news editor/writer Teanna Sorensen.
