Erika Kirk makes first public statement after assassination of husband Charlie Kirk

The suspect is believed to have acted alone, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said.

Kirk’s wife to make 1st public statements since his death

Charlie Kirk’s wife Erika Kirk speaks on Turning Point USA’s social media platforms in wake of her husband’s death. (OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images; Turning Point USA/YouTube)

Erika Kirk, widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, delivered an emotional address on Turning Point USA’s social media platforms following the arrest of Tyler Robinson, the suspect accused of fatally shooting her husband.

After thanking friends and political allies, including President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, Kirk turned her attention to “evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination.”

“If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before — you have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country and this world,” Kirk said. “The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”

Charlie Kirk and the suspect, Tyler Robinson on the grounds of the campus after jumping off of a roof. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images, FBI via Reuters)
 

The suspect arrested in connection with the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Wednesday has been identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old man from Utah.

“We got him,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters Friday morning as he announced the news. He said that a family member reached out to a family friend, who told authorities Robinson confessed or implied that he was responsible. The family member said Robinson had become increasingly political and had mentioned at a recent family dinner that Kirk would be speaking at Utah Valley University.

The suspected gunman is believed to have acted alone, Cox said.

Investigators described the extensive evidence they found, including social media posts, that tied the suspect to the shooting that unfolded on Wednesday. Kirk was speaking to a crowd of around 3,000 people when he was fatally shot.

The manhunt for the shooter that ensued took several twists and turns in the hours following the shooting. Two people were taken into custody on Wednesday, but both were later released.

On day two of the search, investigators said they had received thousands of tips related to the shooting, but that they needed more help from the public. The FBI had offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person.

Robinson is expected to be formally charged and make his first court appearance on Tuesday. He was arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a weapon causing serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice, according to media reports. Aggravated murder carries the possibility of the death penalty in Utah.

Kirk’s body was transported to Arizona, where Kirk lived with his family, on Air Force Two on Thursday afternoon. President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have both said they plan to attend Kirk’s funeral, which is expected to be held next weekend.