About 100 people gathered at Fort Lauderdale's Esplanade Park on Friday night to remember the life of conservative activist Charlie Kirk , who was fatally shot on Wednesday at an event in Utah.

Many who attended the vigil said the loss feels deeply personal.

"It was like Martin Luther King, like JFK"

Around the park's gazebo, mourners sang "Amazing Grace" through tears, some struggling to press on as grief overtook them.

"It was so… it was like Martin Luther King . It's like JFK . And it was so graphic and these young people are just… even the people who didn't agree with him are distraught," said Susan Moore, who attended the vigil.

Brianna Reeves, president of Broward Young Republicans, described Kirk as a mentor and a friend whose courage inspired their community.

"We'

See Full Page