By Paul Farrell and Alex Croft,Rachel Dobkin

Copyright independent

Thousands paid tribute, both in person and online, to conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University’s “Vigil for Unity” Friday amid uproar over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.

“My prayer is tonight, as we leave, we carry forward a renewed commitment to peace to respect and to unity,” Caleb Chilcutt, a UVU student and chapter member of Kirk’s Turning Point USA organization, said at the vigil. A candlelight tribute followed Friday night.

Also Friday, Kimmel broke his silence since having his late night talk show pulled by network ABC following comments he made about the fatal shooting of Kirk at UVU last week.

“Wow, it’s strange times out here,” Kimmel wrote in a text responding to his friend asking how he was. “I’m being followed by a helicopter,” he added.

The network confirmed that Kimmel’s show would be suspended “indefinitely” after the comedian said the “MAGA gang” was trying to “score political points” from Kirk’s assassination during his Monday monologue.

Fellow late night show hosts, including David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert, whose show is being canceled next year, are among the celebrities who have also spoken out in support of Kimmel.

It comes ahead of Kirk’s funeral, which is scheduled to take place Sunday in Glendale, Arizona. Law enforcement is currently monitoring several “threats” prior to the event due to the attendance of high-profile individuals, including Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior politicians.