Influential right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s wife Erika shared a Bible verse about seeking help during difficult times just hours before he was shot dead.
“Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” the former Miss Arizona USA, 36, shared Wednesday afternoon on X. Erika, who runs her own ministry as well as a faith-driven clothing brand, only resumed posting psalms to her X account two days before the fatal shooting.
Her post has now become a place where those in mourning have responded with tributes and condolences after her husband Charlie Kirk was fatally shot.
The Turning Point USA founder, 31, was about 20 minutes into his presentation at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when a single shot rang out, striking him in the neck. Video from the scene shows Kirk bleeding profusely from his neck before falling backward.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he later died. His death was announced by President Donald Trump.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
A person of interest has been taken into custody, according to Utah Governor Spencer Cox. The alleged shooter is believed to have taken aim at Kirk from a campus building about 200 yards from where he was speaking.
It’s unclear if Erika Kirk was in attendance for Wednesday’s event, the first stop of a recently launched American Comeback Tour with visits to college campuses across the country.
Charlie and Erika were married in 2021. They share two children, a daughter born in August 2022, and a son born in May 2024. The family gathered to celebrate their daughter’s third birthday just weeks before the shooting.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
The two have also used their social media platforms to share psalms and other religious beliefs. But they also commented on each other’s posts, uplifting one another in their roles as parents.
Despite sharing photos and stories of their young family on social media, the couple opted to keep the faces of their children hidden from the public.
Erika stood by Charlie’s side through many Turning Point USA events, delivering speeches and engaging with crowds gathered to hear him talk.
Both were in Washington, D.C. earlier this year for Trump’s inauguration and surrounding celebrations, including a Turning Point USA inauguration-eve ball.
