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Washington — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will award conservative activist , who was in Utah, the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

Mr. Trump paid homage to Kirk while speaking at a at the Pentagon, calling his killing "heinous."

"Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people," the president said. 

He added that the nation is praying for Kirk's wife, Erika, and two children. 

"We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on," Mr. Trump.

The president said a date for the ceremony honoring Kirk will be announced in the future.

Created by President Harry Truman in 1945, the Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor and is typically awarded to people who have made meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the nation, world peace, or cultural or other significant endeavors, according to an signed by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, which renamed the medal.

Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday during an event hosted by his organization, Turning Point USA, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the suspected . Investigators believe he is of college age.

Law enforcement recovered the weapon believed to be used in the assassination, a higher-powered bolt-action rifle, FBI official Robert Bohls said Thursday, as well as a foot impression, palm print and forearm imprints, which will be analyzed by investigators.

Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and had become a force in conservative politics. He was close to Mr. Trump and his family, as well as Vice President JD Vance.