Charlie Kirk's UK campaign group pays tribute to him at London vigil

Charlie Kirk's UK campaign group paid tribute to the Conservative activist in front of the Montgomery Statue in Whitehall on Friday after he was assassinated at Utah Valley University by a single shot to the neck.

The vigil, which was organised by the British branch of the right-wing political organisation founded by Mr Kirk Turning Point UK, urged its followers to 'Join us in remembering Charlie' on X. 

Speaking to a crowd of just under 500 people, Turning Point UK CEO Jack Ross said: 'Thank you everyone for coming here today.

'I know Charlie would have been incredibly touched by your presence.

'I would like to also thank members of the United States law enforcement who have successfully apprehended Charlie's murderer. 

'Whilst justice won't bring Charlie back, I hope it will help ease his family's pain. We ask that the law shows Tyler Robinson no mercy.

'Charlie was a good Christian man and his passion came from his desire to help people. 

'Charlie did not hate anyone through his work. He wanted to educate them and teach them to make better decisions. '

'Whilst we are angry and certainly should never forget this anger and what they have done, we should look back on Charlie fondly as the man who led the charge mainstreaming patriotism, Christianity and conservatism to young people across the world.

'Charlie gave us everything at Turning Point UK and without his guidance and trust many of the faces you see on television or in political commentary would not be there. 

'We have been robbed of a truly great man whose potential was endless.

'Charlie's legacy will be one of hope. Hope that the world will return to normalcy. Hope that people will once again embrace Christianity and family values. Hope that what happened to Charlie will never happen again.'

Scores of mourners who gathered despite the showers were seen holding British, American and English flags while some people in attendance also brought bouquets of flowers.

Beau Thomas, 34, who travelled several hours from Sussex to attend the vigil with his wife Jasmine and two young children, three and one, said he started watching Charlie Kirk's content online around the time he became a 'Christian'.

Speaking to the Daily Mail while holding a bouquet of flowers he said: 'I'm here to honour Charlie Kirk. His legacy. His message.

'Someone I believe is a good man. A family man. A Christian man.'

Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking in Utah on Wednesday, leaving behind his wife Erika and their two children, a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. 

Suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested on Thursday in connection to Kirk's death. 

Authorities said he inscribed messages on bullets referring to internet culture and anti-fascist sentiments before allegedly firing the shot that killed Kirk. 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox told a news conference on Friday that Robinson had become 'more political' in the run-up to the shooting. 

The governor also cited as evidence chat app messages attributed to the suspect that a roommate shared with law enforcement. 

Robinson, from Utah, is believed to have acted alone, and the investigation is ongoing, Cox said. 

He was arrested on suspicion of capital murder, weapons and obstruction offences. He was expected to be formally charged early next week ahead of an initial court appearance. 

Authorities have yet to reveal a motive, but they did describe evidence they said shed potential light on the slaying.

That includes the engravings on bullet casings recovered from the high-powered rifle believed to have been used in the attack, including one that said, 'Hey, fascist! Catch!' Cox said, alongside an up arrow, a right arrow symbol and another three arrows pointing downwards. 

The symbols could be a reference to the Iron Front, a paramilitary group set up in opposition to the Nazi Party during the Weimar Republic period in Germany. 

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Another was engraved with the words of the prominent Italian anti-fascist song 'Bella Ciao', which was dedicated to the Italian resistance who fought against Nazism.  

In addition, a roommate shared with authorities messages from the chatting app Discord that involved a contact named Tyler and discussed a rifle wrapped in a towel, engraved bullets and a scope, the governor said. 

A Mauser .30-calibre, bolt-action rifle was found in a towel in a wooded area along the path investigators believe Robinson took after firing a shot from a distant roof and then fleeing.

The clothes the suspect wore when confronted by law enforcement late Thursday were consistent with what he had on when he arrived on campus a day earlier, and a family member confirmed that he drove a grey Dodge Challenger that surveillance video captured him driving to the university, Cox said.

Robinson's father recognised him from the photos released by the FBI and told him to turn himself in. 

Robinson refused at first, but then changed his mind, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

His father reached out for help to their youth pastor, who also occasionally works with the U.S. Marshals and called the agency so he could turn himself in.