NEWARK, Ohio — Several hundred people gathered outside the Licking County Courthouse Tuesday evening, candles in hand, to remember conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed last week in Utah.

The grassroots vigil, organized in just two days by Newark resident Kristofer Bryslan, quickly gained traction online. Bryslan said the idea came to him during a Sunday church service at Spring Hills Baptist Church in Granville.

“I was just going to come down here by myself and say a prayer,” he told 10TV.

Bryslan posted a simple message on Facebook, offering extra candles for anyone who wanted to join him. Within hours, the post had spread widely, and Bryslan said he realized the turnout would be far greater than expected. He notified local police as a precaution.

“I said, ‘List

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