After the news broke of Charlie Kirk being shot at the Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Turning Point USA @ NMU assembled a prayer vigil for the organization’s founder, which  saw a large attendance of students and Marquette residents.

“We had a prayer last night,” said Evan Reister, president of Turning Point USA @ NMU on Thursday. “We had over 75 people show up in an hour’s notice.”

Reister believes there were more than just members of his organization in attendance.

“There was probably people from the other side of the aisle praying,” Reister said. “Just praying for a fellow Christian that evening and the loss of a life that wasn’t necessary.”

Many news stations have been questioning Turning Point USA @ NMU for a comment regarding the death of Kirk, but Reister says he only has one message to give out.

“We need to get back to loving our community,” he said. “We don’t need to be so divided and we really got to tone back the rhetoric. On both sides.”

Riester noted the growing political violence of the country during the past few years, stating that it is “spiraling out of control.”

Turning Point USA @ NMU held a 9/11 memorial event on the anniversary of the attack, but they are giving it some time before they host any more events. There may be an event to commemorate Kirk in the near future.

“I know the leadership at Michigan Tech with Turning Point, we are already talking about doing a joint memorial or something,” Reister said. “It is pretty tragic; he was one of the most significant political figures of our time, whether you liked him or didn’t.”