Charlie Kirk to receive statue at Florida college after assassination

SARASOTA, Fla. – A week after he was assassinated at a college event in Utah, conservative activist Charlie Kirk will receive a statue in his honor in Sarasota, according to the New College of Florida.

The college announced plans to commission a statue in Kirk’s likeness, which will be privately funded by community leaders.

“The statue... will stand on campus as a commitment by New College to defend and fight for free speech and civil discourse in American life,” a post by the college reads.

College officials said the location for the statue will be shared in the coming months.

It’s not the only local commemoration of the conservative influencer’s legacy, though.

Earlier this week, Melbourne mayor Paul Alfrey proposed renaming a stretch of Cypress Avenue — ranging from Eau Gallie Boulevard to Orange Street — to “Charlie Kirk Lane.”

Alfrey explained that the location was chosen because a nearby business owner posted a disparaging remark about Kirk online.

“Kirk will not be forgotten in Melbourne!” Alfrey wrote.

Similarly, Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini announced last week that he’ll be pushing to rename a local road after Kirk, too.

“It will be in my district, the suburbs outside the Orlando/theme park area called Four Corners,” he said. “Hoping other communities around the country also stand up to honor this great national leader of my generation.”

Over the past week, hundreds of people in Central Florida have popped up to mourn the slain father of two, with vigils held in places like Kissimmee and Ormond Beach.

Not all of the reactions to Kirk’s death have been positive, though. Shortly after he was killed, Florida’s education commissioner issued a warning to teachers in the state after “despicable comments” were uncovered online in regards to the killing.

“These few are not a reflection of the great, high-quality teachers who make up the vast majority of Florida’s educators,” the commissioner wrote. “Nevertheless, I will be conducting an investigation of every educator who engages in this vile, sanctionable behavior.”

[BELOW: Florida teachers warned after Charlie Kirk assassination]

Meanwhile, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released information on Monday that an employee had been fired over comments that “made light of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”

“The comments and actions of this individual are not in line with the FWC, our values, or our mission,” a post from the agency states.

Videos posted on social media last Wednesday show 31-year-old Kirk speaking with a handheld microphone at at Utah Valley University before a gunshot rang out, and Kirk could be seen reaching up as blood gushed from the left side of his neck.

He was hospitalized shortly afterward, though President Donald Trump — a political figure whom Kirk publicly championed and advocated for — later took to the social media platform Truth Social to announce Kirk’s death.

Trump also ordered all American flags across the U.S. to be lowered to half-staff over the weekend in Kirk’s honor.

[BELOW: Hundreds mourn Charlie Kirk at Central Florida vigils]

In Utah, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was arrested in Kirk’s death. Robinson’s charge of aggravated murder means he could face the death penalty if convicted.