Charlie Kirk’s widow has shared how she informed their young daughter about his tragic passing.
On September 10, Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing activist and conservative speaker, was fatally shot while he was addressing attendees at an event held at Utah Valley University.
The shooter, who acted independently, fired a single round from a bolt action rifle, striking Kirk from a nearby rooftop on campus.
The FBI announced two days later that they had apprehended their primary suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah.
Charlie Kirk, who was 31 years old at the time of his death, is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk, and their two young children: a son who recently turned one and a three-year-old daughter.
Shortly after the arrest, Erika, an evangelical Christian, spoke publicly about the devastating loss her family had experienced. She addressed the situation from her husband’s podcast room during a live stream on September 12.
The 36-year-old mother shared the heart-wrenching moment when she had to tell her daughter about her father’s death.
“When I got home last night, Gigi, our daughter, just ran into my arms and I talked to her and she said, ‘Mommy, I miss you,’ and I said ‘I miss you too, baby,’ and she goes, ‘Where’s daddy?’” Erika recounted. “How do you tell a three-year-old? She’s three.”
In her explanation, Erika said, “And I said, ‘Daddy loves you so much baby, he’s on a work trip with Jesus so he can afford your blueberry budget.'”
She also expressed gratitude towards first responders, Kirk’s team, and the White House for their quick response, with a special mention of President Donald Trump, whom she said her husband admired and believed to be a mutual feeling.
Although Erika did not name the alleged perpetrator in her address, she spoke against the ‘evil-doers responsible’ for the incident.
“You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry,” she declared.
“They should all know this: if you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before you have no idea, you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world.”
Charlie’s life was tragically cut short by a single gunshot wound to the neck during the college event, which marked the beginning of his ‘American Comeback Tour’ with Turning Point USA, a conservative youth activist organization and nonprofit.
In remembrance of her husband, Erika is committed to continuing his mission by pursuing his work with the campus tour, radio broadcast, and podcast.
She fondly recalled Kirk’s love for America, the outdoors, the Chicago Cubs, and above all, his family.
“Most of all Charlie loved his children and he loved me with all of his heart and I knew that every day. He made sure I knew that every day,” Erika shared. “Every day he would ask me, ‘How can I serve you better? How can I be a better husband? How can I be a better father?'”
“I know my husband is still here. He’s watching over us,” Erika concluded, expressing her gratitude to him as a ‘good and faithful servant.’