Charlie Kirk's family: What to know about his wife Erika, 2 kids
Charlie Kirk was a husband and the father of two young kids at the time of his death at a campus university event in Utah.
When Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medial of Freedom on Oct. 14, the award was accepted at the White House by his wife, Erika Kirk.
In one especially emotional moment during her remarks, Erika Kirk said she had asked the couple's 3-year-old daughter what she would like to say to her father for his birthday. The medal ceremony took place on what would have been Charlie Kirk's 32nd birthday.
"'Happy birthday daddy,'" she said the girl's message read. "I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you,' it's what she said."
Erika Kirk also delivered remarks at Charlie Kirk's memorial service on Sept. 21 at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
"While Charlie died far too early, he was also ready to die. There was nothing that he was putting off," she said.
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University on the first stop this fall of his "The American Comeback Tour," which invited students on college campuses to debate hot-button issues.
Erika Kirk said in emotional remarks at her husband's memorial that she forgives the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who has been charged with his murder.
"That young man, I forgive him," she said as she was holding back tears, with the crowd jumping to their feet in a standing ovation, adding, "The answer to hate is not hate."
Erika Kirk has vowed to continue her late husband's work with Turning Point USA. On Sept. 18, the organization announced that she would succeed her late husband as Turning Point USA's new CEO and chair of the board.
Together, the Kirks are parents of two children, a son who turned 1 in May and a daughter who turned 3 in August.
"When I got home last night, our daughter just ran into my arms ... and she said, 'Mommy, I missed you.' I said, 'I missed you too, baby.' She goes, 'Where's daddy?,'" Erika Kirk said about their 3-year-old in a public address to the nation on Sept. 12. "What do you tell a 3-year-old? She's three. I said, 'Baby, daddy loves you so much. Don't you worry. He's on a work trip with Jesus so he can afford your blueberry budget.'"
Both Charlie Kirk and Erika Kirk shared glimpses of their home life on social media, sharing photos of their children, though not sharing their names or faces.
Here is more to know about Erika Frantzve Kirk
Erika Kirk is a former Miss Arizona USA and collegiate basketball player who is currently studying for a doctorate in Biblical studies at Liberty University, according to her biography on her website.
She is the founder of Proclaim, a faith-based clothing line, the host of the "Midweek Rise Up" podcast and the founder of two nonprofit organizations, according to her website.
Erika Kirk has also been a frequent presence by her husband's side at speaking engagements and public appearances.
The couple went on their first date in New York City in September 2018, according to a post Erika Kirk shared on Instagram.
"5 years ago today, we sat inside Bills Burgers in NYC deep in conversation and banter over theology, philosophy, and politics and at the end, you paused, looked at me and said, 'I'm going to date you,'" she wrote in a Sept. 5, 2023, post.
Following Charlie Kirk's death, Erika Kirk shared a video on Instagram of Charlie Kirk telling the story of how they met to their daughter while sitting at a table at Bill's Burgers in New York City.
"It started as a job interview ... and then I realized momma was beautiful and smart and elegant and Christ-like, and so I said, 'Forget this job interview. I want to date you.' I said, 'I have enough friends,'" Charlie Kirk is seen in the video telling their daughter as she sits on his lap. "And that's where your journey began."
Charlie Kirk proposed to Erika Kirk just two years after their first date, in December 2020, and they wed in Arizona on May 8, 2021, according to social media posts she shared at the time.
The couple sat down together for an episode of "The Charlie Kirk Show" in April to talk about marriage and family life.
"Keep your faith, obviously first, and try to identify any fleshy problems that you might be having," Charlie Kirk said of his advice to young married couples, according to a YouTube video of the podcast.
Erika Kirk added, in part, "You have to continually invest in the confidence in one another, that you're on the same team. You support each other. You love each other. You're not going to undercut each other. You're not going to undercut each other."
ABC News' Megan Forrester and Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
