HEARTBROKEN Erika Kirk has shared devastating images and clips of her final moments with Charlie Kirk — showing her collapsed in tears over his open casket.
She has spoken for the first time since her husband was gunned down on Wednesday — telling their little girl her daddy is “on a work trip with Jesus.”
Charlie Kirk’s grief-stricken widow Erika spoke for first time since her husband’s assassinationX
The mum-of-two wipes away a tear as she makes her emotional address
mrserikakirk/InstagramCharlie leaves behind his wife Erika and his two young children, aged three and one[/caption]
mrserikakirk/InstagramErika shared a series of pictures, including one weeping by her late husband’s coffin[/caption]
mrserikakirk/InstagramErika could be seen crying as she held Charlie’s hands[/caption]
mrserikakirk/InstagramIn her speech, Erika thanked the ‘phenomenal’ Second Lady Usha Vance for her support[/caption]
mrserikakirk/InstagramErika being comforted by the US Vice President and Second Lady as Kirk’s body was flown home to Arizona[/caption]
The heartbroken widow posted the images and videos on social media, laying bare her agony as Charlie’s body was flown home to Arizona aboard Air Force Two.
On the tarmac, Erika was flanked by Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha, who held her upright as she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably while the coffin was carried from the plane.
In one hut-wrenching clip, Erika is seen clutching Charlie’s hand inside the casket, her head resting on him as though willing him back to life.
Between sobs, she whispers, “I love you” and “God bless you,” kissing his hands in a final act to say goodbye to her loved one far too soon.
Another image captures her collapsed over the gleaming wood, blonde hair spilling forward as she pours out her grief in silence.
What we know so far:
Charlie Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University
Tyler Robinson identified as shooting suspect
Chilling CCTV shows sniper jump from roof and escape
Kirk’s wife Erika is ‘devastated’, Trump says after emotional phone call
Brave Erika is seen for the first time alongside JD Vance
Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Medal of Freedom
Kirk was warned about safety just months before being killed
Eyewitness reveal horror details of fatal shot moment
Erika described the conservative activist as a “perfect” father and husband in an emotional address from his Turning Point USA studio, where his podcast chair sat hauntingly empty.
“You have no idea of the fire that you have ignited within this wife,” she said, her voice breaking.
“The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”
Charlie Kirk, a top Trump ally and co-founder of the youth movement Turning Point USA, was shot dead Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Cops have now arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who is expected to be charged next week.
Erika, who was in the audience with their one- and three-year-old children when her husband was assassinated, told how their daughter later asked her: “Where’s daddy?”
She replied: “Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don’t you worry. He’s on a work trip with Jesus.”
Through tears, she praised the first responders, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance – who flew Kirk’s casket home to Arizona aboard Air Force Two with Erika and her two children.
“Mr President, my husband loved you. And he knew that you loved him too. Your friendship was amazing,” she said.
InstagramErika Kirk told her young daughter that her father is ‘on a work trip with Jesus’[/caption]
APKirk was speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday when he was killed by a single bullet[/caption]
AFPCandles and flowers are seen near a portrait of Charlie Kirk at a makeshift memorial during a candlelight vigil at Memorial Park in Provo, Utah[/caption]
Erika went on to vow that Charlie’s political crusade will only burn brighter, saying: “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.”
Trump has announced Kirk will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously, hailing him as a “giant of his generation and a champion of liberty.”
Cops are now probing whether Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin had help.
The Sun can reveal FBI agents are examining doorbell camera footage that allegedly shows Tyler Robinson talking on the phone about the shooting just minutes after Kirk was gunned down.
Detectives are said to be investigating whether he had an accomplice — or if someone close knew about the killing but stayed silent.
The clip, handed to police by a family living near Utah Valley University, appears to show a man strolling past their home, which backs onto woods, while speaking about the murder.
Officials had earlier insisted the shooter acted alone but admitted all lines of inquiry remain open.
Shutterstock EditorialOfficials have identified the person accused of fatally shooting conservative activist thirty-one old Charlie Kirk as 22-year-old Utah resident Tyler Robinson[/caption]
AFPThe suspect, described as a male ‘of college age’, was seen wearing a black cap and long-sleeve shirt with the American flag and eagle[/caption]
AFPInvestigators believe the shooter camped out on the roof of a building 200 yards away[/caption]
Robinson, from Washington, Utah, was turned in by his own dad Matt after recognising him in FBI wanted photos.
When confronted, the suspect allegedly confessed but chillingly told his father: “I would rather kill myself than turn myself in.”
Matt persuaded him to speak with a youth minister — who also serves as a U.S. Marshals officer — and the FBI swooped Thursday night.
He is now being held without bail at Utah County Jail, expected to be charged with aggravated murder and firearms offences.
Investigators say Robinson drove 240 miles to the UVU campus in a grey Dodge Challenger before firing a single fatal sniper shot at 12.10pm.
The bolt-action rifle, engraved with bizarre slogans such as “Hey fascist! Catch!” and gaming symbols, was later found dumped in nearby woods.
Investigators say Robinson drove 240 miles to the UVU campus in a grey Dodge Challenger before firing a single fatal sniper shot at 12.10pm.
FBI chief Kash Patel said more than 11,000 public tips helped nail the suspect.
Signing off at Friday’s press conference, he added a personal message: “To my friend Charlie Kirk. Rest now brother. We have the watch and I’ll see you in Valhalla.”
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Timeline of Charlie Kirk shooting
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10
Tuesday, September 9
8:29 am MDT – Shooter arrives on the Utah Valley University campus, as seen in surveillance videos.
Wednesday, September 10
11:52 am – The shooter, described as a college-age individual, arrives on campus before maneuvering onto a rooftop.
12:00 pm – Charlie Kirk is scheduled to host a debate in the UVU Fountain Courtyard.
12:10 pm – A shot is fired at Kirk from 200 yards away and hits him in the neck. The event is immediately evacuated and a man is taken into custody.
1:02 pm – President Donald Trump posts a call to pray for Kirk on Truth Social.
1:37 pm – UVU closes campus, cancels classes, and tells students to leave campus immediately.
1:50 pm – Officials confirm Kirk is in critical condition to the Associated Press.
2:40 pm – Trump confirms Kirk has died, hailing him “great, legendary” in a post on Truth Social.
4:21 pm FBI Director Kash Patel shares on X that the ‘subject for the horrific shooting’ is in custody.
4:30 pm – Utah Governor Spencer Cox, speaking at a press conference, brands Kirk’s death a ‘political assassination. Cox adds there is a ‘person of interest’ in custody and a man arrested earlier has been released.
7:59 pm – Patel, the FBI director, confirmed a second subject taken into custody in connection with Kirk’s shooting was released after being interrogated by law enforcement.
Thursday, September 11
7:15 am – Officials hold a press conference where they announce they have “good video” of the suspect and they recovered the “high-action bolt rifle” in the nearby woods.
9:55 am – Visuals of the suspect are released as officials ask for the public’s help in identifying the individual in the photos.
10:44 am – FBI offers a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of anyone involved in Kirk’s assassination.
10:00 pm – Tyler Robinson is arrested on Thursday night in St. George, Utah, after his dad turned him in. He’s booked into the Utah County Jail.
Friday, September 12
6:00 am – Trump announces a suspect was in custody during an appearance on Fox & Friends. “I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” the president said.
7:30 am – A press conference is held with FBI and Utah government officials, including Cox and Patel, where the Utah governor confirmed, “We got him.” The suspect is identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah.
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