WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump introduced on Sept. 11 that he’ll posthumously award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the best civilian honor in the US. The announcement got here throughout a speech on the Pentagon commemorating the twenty fourth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist assaults.
Kirk, a outstanding conservative and political commentator, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 on the age of 31 whereas talking to a crowd of scholars at Utah Valley College in Orem, Utah.
“Before we begin, let me express the horror and grief so many Americans at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt,” Trump mentioned at the beginning of his speech.
“Charlie was an enormous of his technology, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of individuals.
“We miss him greatly. Yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on. I’m pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
He added that the date of the ceremony will likely be introduced later, however predicted a big turnout.
“I can only guarantee you one thing,” he mentioned. “That we will have a very big crowd.”
Since co-founding Turning Level USA in 2012 alongside conservative commentator Invoice Montgomery, Kirk turned often called a passionate advocate for conservative values who mobilized younger voters throughout the nation in current elections.
A single shot was fired at Kirk whereas he was talking at Utah Valley College as a part of his American Comeback tour, with the bullet placing him within the neck. Hours later, Trump introduced that Kirk was “no longer with us.” Kirk leaves behind his spouse, Erika Kirk, and two kids.
Trump mentioned he’ll communicate with Kirk’s household on Thursday afternoon.
“I can’t believe Charlie—what a great guy he was,” Trump advised reporters after the ceremony.
“You don’t replace a Charlie Kirk. He was unique.”
Trump additionally mentioned that he had been briefed on the continued manhunt for the shooter.
Because the seek for Kirk’s murderer enters its second day, Utah’s public security commissioner, Beau Mason, mentioned investigators had eyes on the suspect arriving on campus at 11:52 a.m. native time on Sept. 10, they usually tracked his actions by way of campus, up stairwells, and onto the roof to the taking pictures location. Kirk was shot round 12:20 p.m. native time.
They had been then in a position to observe the suspect as he moved onto the opposite aspect of the constructing, jumped off, and fled the campus right into a neighborhood.
Mason mentioned investigators have totally labored by way of these neighborhoods, amassing no matter data they may by way of doorbell cameras, witnesses, and anyone they may contact to determine any leads.
“We do have good video footage of this individual,” Mason advised reporters.
“We’re not going to launch that right now. We’re working by way of some applied sciences and a few methods to determine this particular person.
“If we are unsuccessful, we will reach out to you as the media, and we will push that publicly to help us identify them.”
T.J. Muscaro contributed to this report.
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