Todd Callahan, Senior Pastor of Ignite Church in Williston, addresses the crowd and shares his personal relationship with Charlie Kirk and his family
By Paul Bean
About 300 Vermonters gathered Sunday evening at Ignite Church in Williston for a candle at Ignite Church in Williston in honor of slain conservative leader Charlie Kirk.
“We love you Erika!” said the crowd of 300 in a video sent to Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow. On Facebook, that video now has 190K+ views, 7,200 likes, 398 comments, and 572 shares. Many viewers commented that they wish they had known about the event so they could have attended. Organizers reportedly were concerned about a disruptive, anti-CK opposition appearing.
It is fitting that the vigil was held at Ignite, the site of Kirk’s June, 2021 initial visit to Vermont. The meeting was a stepping stone to organize Turning Point USA in Vermont and to develop support for his October, 2021 rally with UVM students at a South Burlington hotel.
“Thank you, Vermonters,” writes facebook user, Wendy J. Mainieri in response to the clip. “I would not have believed this could happen here without seeing it for myself. I am amazed. May God bless you all.”
Kirk, a 31-year-old prominent political commentator and close ally of President Donald Trump, was killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The assassination occurred while Kirk was addressing a crowd of about 3,000 people as part of his American Comeback Tour.
A single shot, believed to have been fired from a rooftop about 200 yards away, struck Kirk in the neck, leading to his death at a nearby hospital.
VDC will follow up this afternoon with more in depth detail on the candle light vigil in Williston.