OREM, UTAH — After Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday, a rumor that his wife Erika and their two kids were there spread quickly on social media.
Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma started the rumors when he tweeted, “Pray for [Kirk] his wife Erika, their two children, and all who were present at Utah Valley University.”
Many news agencies reported that Kirk’s family was at the event after the post. The BBC has recently changed their blog post to say, “An earlier version of this post said that Kirk’s wife and children were on the university campus.” This is actually not obvious. This explanation makes it clear that neither the police nor the Kirk family have officially confirmed anything.
There is no confirmed information that Erika Kirk and her two kids were at the UVU campus on Wednesday. It looks like the claims are based on Senator Mullin’s post, which some news sites that first published it have now said is not true.
In the meantime, the police are still looking into the shooting. At a news conference on Thursday, the FBI and local officials showed pictures and footage of a “person of interest” in a black t-shirt who was spotted jumping off a roof and running away. The suspect’s name has not yet been made public, and the reason for the crime remains unconfirmed; however, President Donald Trump claims to have a clue about it.
Spencer Cox, the governor of Utah, has asked the public to help the police, saying that detectives had gotten more than 7,000 tips and done 200 interviews.
President Trump has said that he will give Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the country, as a way to honor the late activist. Vice President JD Vance called off a trip to New York and instead went to Utah to be with Kirk’s family. He then flew them and Kirk’s casket home to Arizona on Air Force Two. Trump has also said that he will go to Kirk’s funeral in Arizona.