'I will never let your legacy die' - Charlie Kirk's widow gives tearful address after shooting

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 everyday."

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, you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world."

Her husband's tour of US university campuses will continue throughout the autumn, and in the years to come, she said, without offering further details. His podcast will also continue.

Mrs 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.

Erika Kirk is a businesswoman and former Miss Arizona USA winner who met her husband in 2018. The couple was engaged by 2020 and wed less than a year later.

She is currently studying for a doctorate in Bible studies, has launched a ministry programme and hosts the Midweek Rise Up podcast focused on Biblical leadership. Mrs Kirk also acts and models, and has a faith-based clothing line.

Although the children and the couple's home life are regular fixtures on her social media pages, they never publishes images showing their children's faces.