WAUKESHA — Dozens of people gathered at a growing memorial in Waukesha to honor the life of Charlie Kirk, after authorities announced the arrest of a suspect in the conservative activist's assassination.
The tribute lines the entrance of a local chapter of Turning Point Action, the nationwide organization Kirk founded more than a decade ago to mobilize students at high schools and colleges.
"I drive by here quite a few times a day, and I saw this growing and growing," said Doreen Miller of Waukesha, who brought flowers to add to the memorial.
Miller said she attended one of Kirk's speaking events at the Waukesha Turning Point location.
Watch: Waukesha memorial grows for Charlie Kirk as suspect arrested in assassination
"I listened to Charlie speak at this Turning Point in Waukesha, and I can't believe he's actually gone," Miller said. "It's hard to talk about him without shedding tears."
The memorial features American flags and red, white and blue balloons as community members process the shock and anger over Kirk's death.
Authorities arrested a suspect in Kirk's assassination about 33 hours after the conservative activist was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. The suspect is 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a Utah resident.
Law enforcement said Robinson's father recognized him from news coverage and convinced him to turn himself in. Investigators interviewed a member of Robinson's family, who said he had become more political in recent years.
"I hope he's the right one, the suspect, and they punish him full blown by the law. Utah does have the death sentence. I don't believe in the death sentence, but when something like this happens and they have the right person, it's got to be done," Miller said about the arrest.
Tim Fleming of New Berlin hopes the focus moving forward will be on open-mindedness over division when it comes to sharing political views.
"Why can't people talk about their differences?" Fleming said. "There's always going to be evil people, no matter what you do. They're going to exist. Hopefully, some people's eyes are just opened. Let's slow down and just be human."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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