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The assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has sparked sharply divided reactions, with some churches across the U.S. addressing the tragedy — and the viral video of his shooting — in their sermons this past Sunday.
Ryan Visconti, lead pastor at Generation Church in Mesa, Arizona, told Fox News Digital in an interview that many people are finding themselves “mourning this in an unusual way,” but noted that people probably had more familiarity with Kirk than they realized due to his expansive reach.
“As a Christian, Charlie was a brother in Christ, and so I think there is a connection there spiritually that a fellow brother in Christ, a Christian, was murdered brutally and graphically,” Visconti said. “And how graphic his death was, it was traumatic. And so, really, all of us who saw those terrible videos are witnesses to murder. And that really hurts on a deep level, and it scars your soul.”
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“What I would encourage people to do is, you need to know the hope and the comfort that comes from Jesus. That’s where Charlie found hope, and that’s where he got his strength from. And that’s what he would want other people who are hurting to turn to in a time like this,” Visconti added.
The pastor said he knew Kirk personally, and that he previously hosted a rally for then-vice presidential nominee JD Vance at his church.
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Visconti touched on the fact that the murder has had an intense impact on Generation Z, as a large part of Kirk’s effort was speaking on campuses, including when he was killed.
“I believe that especially the younger generation who listened to Charlie and who at least appreciated his ability to engage people in conversation, those people see that he was willing to die for his beliefs, and I think that piques people’s interest, and it causes them to want to know what convinced him that this was true? What made him so passionate?” he said.
“And I think people are going to look at what Charlie believed in a new light and probably explore that for themselves, and so I think he will continue to have a lasting impact for many, many years to come, especially with the younger generation.”
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Following Kirk’s murder at Utah Valley University last week, his casket was flown on Air Force Two to Phoenix, where mourners have set up memorials outside Turning Point USA headquarters and outside the Hansen Mortuary Chapel.
The conservative activist’s celebration of life is scheduled for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and President Donald Trump and Vance are slated to speak, along with other members of the Trump administration.
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