Copyright Newsweek
Erika Kirk, widow of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, said on Fox News that she has never seen the videos of the moment her husband was fatally shot while speaking at a Utah university event on September 10. Why It Matters The revelation provides insight into the anguish endured by Erika Kirk, who has taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the nonprofit group her husband co-founded to promote conservative politics in schools and on university campuses. The assassination of Charlie Kirk raised fears of political violence in America as well as questions about the responsibility of social media companies pertaining to images of violence posted on their platforms. Some politicians called for measures to restrict publication of such pictures and videos. What To Know Charlie Kirk was killed during a stop on his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University in Orem, where he was speaking with the audience when a shooter on a rooftop opened fire. The event was being filmed and numerous students were recording it on their phones. Footage of Charlie Kirk being hit by a bullet, bleeding heavily from a neck wound and slumping off his chair was on several social media feeds within minutes of the shooting. “I never saw the video, I never will see it, I never want to see it; there are certain things you see in your life that you can never unsee,” Erika Kirk told Fox News host Jesse Watters. “There are certain things you see in your life that mark your soul forever. I don’t want my husband’s public assassination to be something I ever see, I don’t want my kids to ever see that,” she said. She was in her mother's hospital room in Phoenix when she received the call that her husband had been shot. Later, against a sheriff's advice, she insisted on seeing her husband's body, describing his expression as having "this knowing, Mona Lisa-like half-smile." Erika Kirk has said she forgives her husband’s killer and that she opposes the death penalty for the assailant, helping allay some of the anger in the aftermath of the killing. At an event honoring Charlie Kirk at the University of Mississippi on October 29, Kirk discussed what she described as "the enemy," saying that as she was coming to grips with her loss, she was starting to realize that "the enemy, he doesn't want you. He wants your territory. He wants your influence." She did not say who she considers the enemy. What People Are Saying Erika Kirk, in the Fox interview: “And for people who actually enjoy watching that, which is quite literally sick, what if that was your father, or your brother or your sister, it’s a perspective shift there, we’re human, life is fragile and there is so much beauty in this world, why would you waste any portion of your life looking at something so evil.” What Happens Next Erika Kirk has pledged to expand TPUSA's national outreach, grow its campus presence and continue its advocacy for freedom of speech. The organization has announced plans to create thousands of new chapters and is cultivating new partnerships with pastors and congregations.
