Imagine going to create a heartfelt tribute to your role model, only to be shut down by a stranger. This is exactly what happened to 16-year-old Evi McCormick when she visited a Build-A-Bear workshop in Seattle, hoping to honor the late Conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, a prominent figure and the founder of Turning Point USA, was tragically assassinated on September 10 while addressing students at Utah Valley University. His untimely death sent shockwaves across the nation, leaving many to grieve and honor him in their own ways.

Evi, who hails from Tukwila, Washington, was one of those individuals. After building a teddy bear, she eagerly filled out a birth certificate with the name 'Charlie Kirk.' But when she approached the checkout, the employee’s response was shocking. “We’re not doing this,” she said, dismissing Evi’s heartfelt gesture outright. Evi shared her disbelief with local NBC affiliate KING5, explaining that the staffer simply disagreed with honoring Kirk.

Things escalated quickly when the employee reportedly tore up the certificate and tossed it away. Dismayed, Evi didn’t let this dampen her spirit entirely; she walked out and had a friend pay for the bear instead. Evi's friend, Kailie Lang, described the encounter as uncomfortable, stating, 'It wasn't political until she made it that way.'

Evi recounted her admiration for Kirk, calling him 'mesmerizing' and 'captivating' during his speeches. In a heartfelt Facebook post, she expressed her devastation, saying she was 'appalled' by the staff member's actions and even called her dad in tears outside the store. Her friend attempted to get a blank sheet of paper to write Kirk’s name on later, but the staffer refused that as well.

Feeling hurt by the experience, Evi concluded her post with, 'Safe to say, I will not be returning, and my heart genuinely hurts.' Alongside a video of her bear dressed in a suit and red tie, she expressed how unfortunate it is to feel hate towards Kirk’s supporters.

In an attempt to make amends, Evi’s mother, Amber, contacted Build-A-Bear’s corporate office, which offered a $20 gift card as a form of compensation. A few days later, a representative called, apologizing for the incident and assuring that they aim to prevent similar situations in the future.

This incident comes in the wake of Kirk's assassination, which ignited a flurry of firings across the country due to varied reactions to his death, including a Kansas professor placed on leave for comments made online. In a time when honoring fallen figures should unite us, this story highlights the deep divides still present in our society.