In brief
Erika Kirk delivered a moving speech in honor of her husband Charlie, a prominent right-wing activist who was shot dead during a university event in Utah. Expressing her heartbreak, she thanked first responders and vowed to keep her husband's legacy alive, stating his voice would continue to resonate. Charlie Kirk, known for his conservative views, was involved in political movements and advocated for various causes, leaving behind a wife and two young children.
Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika, has given a tearful address in which she thanked first responders for trying to save her husband's life after he was fatally shot on a Utah university campus.
In a livestream, standing beside her husband's empty chair that he used during podcast tapings, she quoted the Bible and spoke about his love for President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, the United States, and the couple's two children.
Kirk, a right-wing activist, was shot dead on Wednesday during an open-air speaking event in Orem, Utah. His suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, was arrested on Thursday night after surrendering to police.
In her remarks, Mrs Kirk pledged: My husband's voice will remain.
The broadcast from Turning Point USA's headquarters in Arizona began with several minutes of silence, as the camera framed Charlie Kirk's empty chair.
As his widow started speaking, she looked upwards and whispered a silent prayer.
She then thanked first responders who tried to save him, her husband's staff, and the White House.
Mr President, my husband loved you. And he knew that you loved him too, she said tearfully, also thanking Vance and his wife Usha for accompanying the casket back to Arizona.
But most of all, Charlie loved his children. And he loved me. With all his heart. And he made sure I knew that every day.
Addressing evil-doers, Mrs Kirk said: 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.
They should all know this: If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea what you just unleashed across this entire country and this world.
Her husband's tour of US university campuses will continue throughout the fall, and in the years ahead, she said, without offering further details. His podcast will also continue.
Erika Kirk also spoke of their one-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, saying that she was at a loss for how to explain their father's sudden death.
Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don't you worry. He's on a work trip with Jesus, she told their daughter.
Mrs Kirk, 36, and their children were reportedly in the audience when her husband was shot.
Charlie Kirk was a controversial figure in American political discourse, hailed by many as the future of American conservatism with a knack for energising young conservatives.
His views were polarising on college campuses where he held large events, and his provocative speeches would draw crowds of vocal opponents as well as fans. Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University during Turning Point USA's The American Comeback Tour, where he was shot during a debate about gun violence and transgender people in the US.
Trump has announced that he will award Kirk a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom - the highest civilian honour a president can bestow - describing his friend and ally as a giant of his generation and a champion of liberty.
Turning Point USA also referred to its co-founder as a martyr and noted he was the perfect husband and father, asking people to pray for the Kirks after their incomprehensible loss.
