OREM, Utah (KUTV) -- Hundreds of Utah Valley University students remain in shock after they witnessed a fatal shooting.
Political activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on campus on Wednesday.
A makeshift memorial now sits among the police tape that still marks parts of the school.
MORE | UVU releases return schedule for faculty, students after Charlie Kirk assassination
Many students, like freshman Tate Wallwork, are processing what happened as they prepare to return to a campus that feels unfamiliar. He saw the shooting as it unfolded and is still trying to process it.
It's weird because I take that path every day to class," Wallwork said. "All my classes are on that path past it, and it's definitely going to be another out-of-body experience just seeing where it is and just remembering what happened."
Friday marked Wallwork's first time back on campus since the incident. He said the atmosphere remains somber.
You can just tell everything is still off within the campus," he added.
UVU officials have announced a phased reopening plan following conversations with students, staff, and the broader community.
Everything changed this morning," said Ellen Treanor, Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications at UVU. "We know that this was a targeted attack on an individual. It was one person on the roof and one person on the stage. We know it wasn't against the university or against the students."
Treanor emphasized that UVU is focusing on healing and transparency, not just resuming operations.
"We are going to ratchet up our dialogue on campus," she said. "We'll be having town halls and meetings and gatherings where we discuss our core values, which are exceptional care."
Students like Wallwork said that they appreciate the decision to delay the full return to classes until next Wednesday.
"I think it gives all the students and me a good week to deal with what happened and try and come to terms," he said. "I hope to see that we are able to bond over something super horrific that happened and be able to come closer together."
What the Reopening Plan Looks Like:
Before campus reopens, UVU will also conduct a comprehensive cleaning of the affected areas.
UVU officials said the goal is not just to move forward but to heal together as a community.