The Turning Point USA restarted its ‘American Comeback Tour’ after the death of its founder, Charlie Kirk. The next event, after Kirk was shot at a stop on the tour on September 10, was held at Utah State University in Logan, around two hours away from Utah Valley University at Orem where Kirk was shot.
Utah State University gave evacuation orders on Tuesday, September 30, when the TPUSA event was scheduled to take place after discovering a suspicious package on the premises.
However, the evacuation orders were temporary and the event continued as planned after authorities dealt with the package.
According to The Herald Journal, the evacuation was ordered at the Old Main building at the university in the afternoon at around 2:45 p.m. after a seemingly suspicious package was discovered.
As per Fox News, university and authorities were alerted after an employee saw someone place an unidentified package near a tree, according to Ellis Bruch, Utah State University’s Executive Director of Public Safety.
Bruch also shared that the bomb squad became involved after a K-9 presented "bit of an indication,” noted Fox News.
After investigating the scene, law enforcement determined that the package was not explosive, as per KSL. All the same, an alert from the university shared that the package was detonated.
According to Fox News, someone can be heard shouting “Fire in the hole” after an explosion was heard on the university premises.
After the explosion, the Old Main building was cleared for all events scheduled to take place at the university.
In a statement after the university premises were cleared following a bomb threat, the Utah State University explained the the circumstances and chronology of events.
As per The New York Post, the university said:
“A suspicious device was found near the exterior of Old Main. University and local law enforcement were dispatched to the scene. A device was located and deemed to be a nonexplosive device. Out of an abundance of caution, the bomb squad detonated the suspicious device. Old Main building is now clear and safe. All scheduled events may resume as normal.”
All-clear issued after Old Main evacuation due to suspicious device. https://t.co/RxrMm4r6eN
— Utah State University (@USUAggies) September 30, 2025
The Turning Point USA’s ‘American Comeback Tour’ was scheduled to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. After authorities cleared the university campus at Logan, the event took place as scheduled.
At the first event after Charlie Kirk’s death, the famous campus debating series featured Alex Clark, Senator Mike Lee from Utah, Representative Andy Biggs, Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox and Jason Chaffetz, as per Fox News.
Senator Lee, who joined the event via a video message, paid tribute to Kirk at the event.
According to KSL, he said about the late conservative activist,
“I introduced him to my daughter as a future president of the United States, and he would have been…May Almighty God bless Charlie's family and his memory. May God bless Charlie's children, and may God bless this country he loved.”
Meanwhile, Cox also spoke at the event, and as per KSL, remarked,
“This isn't just about left and right, it's about good and evil…The idea that speech is violence and violence is speech, that is not coming from the right.”
Continuing, he referred to Kirk and praised his debating series, while saying,
“Peacemaking is not soft, it's the hardest thing you can do…And that's what Charlie understood.”
As per KSL, the event also paid tribute to Kirk by playing a video edit of the slain podcaster and activist.
TOPICS: Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA