Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, shared a powerful and emotional tribute to her late husband on her Instagram account on Saturday. The posts included photos and videos of her final moments with Kirk before his burial, showing her weeping, kissing, and holding his hand inside an open casket.
In one video, she is heard repeatedly whispering “I love you” to her slain husband. Other photos show her, dressed in black, standing alongside U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, as Kirk’s casket is loaded onto an aircraft. The tribute culminated with a video of military personnel marching as a bagpiper played in the background.
In the post’s caption, Erika Kirk wrote, “The world is evil.” She continued with a warning to her husband’s assassin and the world at large, vowing that they would “never. Ever. Forget my husband, Charlie. I’ll make sure of it.” She stated that the person who killed her husband “had no idea what they just ignited within this wife.”
Charlie Kirk, a prominent figure in the conservative movement and a close ally of Donald Trump, was shot and killed on Wednesday while addressing a crowd at Utah Valley University. The killing was captured on video and has been widely condemned.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a suspect in the assassination had been taken into custody. Utah Governor Spencer Cox and FBI Director Kash Patel later identified the suspect as Tyler James Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident. According to authorities, a family member of Robinson’s helped lead police to him after he confessed or implied his involvement. The family reportedly noticed that Robinson had recently become “more political” and had expressed his dislike for Kirk and his views.
Robinson has been booked on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice. The charges are expected to be formally filed on Tuesday.