The Sept. 10 killing of Charlie Kirk reverberated for weeks in the headlines and continues to be felt in communities across the country, including Maryville.
Students on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University are working to start a Turning Points USA Chapter. The political organization, founded by Kirk, continues to advocate for conservative Christian principals in high schools and colleges across the country, and has reported a surge in interest following Kirk's death.
Maryville residents are also holding a vigil to honor Kirk on Oct. 14, what would've been his 32nd birthday. John McBride, a city councilman, helped organize the vigil. He announced the event at a council meeting on Sept. 29. Despite Kirk's divisive politics, McBride says his approach brought people together.
"Kirk was creating an environment where all voices could be heard and topics could be debated. Obviously, he had his positions and stood by those, but he wanted to open the floor," McBride said. "What Charlie was doing was going out and having those conversations, and they were the conversations and that kept it civil."
The Oct. 14 vigil is open to all. McBride recognized, in a time of political violence, it is a risk to gather together. But he said people should not withdraw from their communities.
"That's exactly the type of message that the shooter and people like him want to get home. They want to discourage people from engaging and they want to do that through fear," McBride said. "We can't live our lives like that."
The vigil will be held at the Calvary Chapel in Maryville from 7 to 8 pm.
