Turning Point USA Resumes Tour After Kirk Shooting

Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. Turning Point USA restarted its campus tour with a sold-out stop at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 22, headlined by Michael Knowles, where organizers required preregistration, ID checks and increased security. The organization’s board unanimously named Erika Kirk CEO, and she vowed to continue her husband’s mission as the tour—billed as the “American Comeback Tour” or “Turning Point Tour”—is scheduled to run through November with stops including the University of Oklahoma on Oct. 16. Local organizers and Turning Point affiliates say membership and the number of student and secondary-school chapters have surged since Kirk’s death, though reported chapter counts vary across outlets. A large memorial for Kirk was held in Arizona on Sept. 21 featuring high-profile speakers and public vows by his widow to carry on the organization’s work.