Charlie Kirk's Widow Reveals Final Text and Grief Journey After Fatal Shooting
The last communication Erika Kirk, widow of the recently deceased Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, sent to her husband before his fatal shooting is now being revealed.
“He rose, and I could hear him having a bite in the kitchen. He had anticipated this tour starting all season,” the 36-year-old Erika recounted to The New York Times in an interview released on Sunday, September 21, as she remembered the morning preceding her husband's tragic death.
Given her husband's early departure for Provo, Utah, she couldn't offer a farewell kiss. Instead, she mentions she merely texted him “I love you.” This became the last message she dispatched to the conservative figure before his demise.
“I am permitting myself to experience this profound grief, unassisted by drugs or drink,” Erika shared with the publication regarding her husband's passing. “Divine guidance is being bestowed upon me.”
Erika Kirk Recounts Seeing Her Husband Charlie Kirk’s Body After His Death
On September 10, Charlie was delivering a speech at Utah Valley University when he suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the neck. The podcast host was discussing mass shootings and firearm control when the projectile struck, originating from what officials estimated to be almost 200 yards distant. He was promptly transported to a local hospital, where his death was subsequently confirmed. He was 31 years old.
Following a call from her husband’s personal aide, Michael McCoy, informing Erika that Charlie had been shot, she traveled by air from their home state of Arizona to Utah. Mid-flight, she received news of her husband’s passing.
“I observed the clouds and the peaks,” she remembered from the instant she learned her husband hadn't survived. “It was an exceptionally beautiful day, and I realized: This must have been his final view.”
Upon arrival at the hospital, a sheriff met her, indicating she could view her husband’s body but cautioned against it — the officer explained that the lethal projectile had “severely damaged” the podcaster’s neck.
“Respectfully,” Erika recollected telling the sheriff, “I wish to witness the extent of the damage inflicted upon my husband.”
She proceeded to detail her husband’s appearance post-mortem.
“His eyes were partially open,” she informed the publication. “And he bore this understanding, Mona Lisa-esque faint smile. As if he had died content. As if he had been saved by Jesus. The shot occurred, he closed his eyes momentarily, and then he was in paradise.”
Charlie Kirk’s Widow Erika Shares Her Desires Regarding His Assailant’s Fate
Forty-eight hours following the deadly incident, law enforcement arrested a 22-year-old individual, who surrendered upon his parents’ urging. Notwithstanding assertions from numerous high-profile Republican figures, including the nation's president, investigators have uncovered “no proof linking the suspect to any left-leaning organizations.”
“All signs to date suggest this was an isolated individual who committed a grave act due to finding Kirk’s beliefs personally objectionable,” an individual close to the inquiry informed NBC News on Saturday, September 21.
“Many individuals have inquired, ‘Do you harbor resentment towards this person? Such as, do you desire capital punishment?’ I will be frank. I informed our legal counsel that I wish for the state to determine this,” Erika expressed to The New York Times concerning the alleged assailant’s destiny. “I do not wish to be accountable for this man’s life. Because upon reaching heaven, if Jesus says: ‘Hmm, retribution? Is that our approach?’ And that prevents me from entering heaven, from reuniting with Charlie?”
