The Los Medanos College chapter of Turning Point USA held a candlelight vigil for Charlie Kirk on Monday, Sept.15. The event was peaceful according to attendees and provided a space for both students and community members to grieve Kirk’s passing.

The vigil was held in front of the Child Study Center on Los Medanos’ Pittsburg campus, where attendees lit candles and constructed a memorial to Kirk. A megaphone was passed to members of the crowd who shared thoughts, feelings and prayers to the crowd gathered. 

Estimates about the size of the crowd differ, with LMC Police Services who did security for the event estimating an attendance at maximum of 200 persons, instagram posts from the club reporting 1000 attendees, and officers from the club estimating 650 to 700.

Videos and photos from the event have been circulating around online, showing a crowd around 200 strong.

“A lot of the people were sad,” said Logan Espino, an LMC student who attended the event. “It was sorrowful.”

Others in the crowd found the event to be a solemn time of remembrance.

“It was meaningful and peaceful,” said Maryanne Hicks, TPUSA-LMC’s faculty advisor, who was at the event.

The organizers of the event were surprised with how many people showed up. Most of the attendees were from the community, who came to the event alongside students at LMC.

“It was definitely less students than older people,” said Espino about the makeup of the crowd. 

The event was planned by TPUSA LMC, but word got out online through Instagram and Nextdoor, which drew a large number of community members to campus for the event. 

“It was bigger than I thought it was going to be,” said Hannah Smith, TPUSA-LMC’s secretary. “We were happy to see everyone come out and support, it felt really good.”