'The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry,' Charlie Kirk's wife says

SALT LAKE CITY — Erika Kirk fought back tears Friday night in her first public address since her husband, Charlie Kirk, was shot in the neck and killed Wednesday while speaking to students at Utah Valley University.

Charlie Kirk was a prominent conservative activist and the founder of Turning Point USA.

"Two days ago, my husband, Charlie, went to see the face of his Savior and his God," Erika Kirk said. "Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith."

Erika Kirk talked about the things her husband loved, specifically mentioning his children, America, nature, the Chicago Cubs and the Oregon Ducks, among other things.

"Every day, he would ask me, 'How can I serve you better? How can I be a better husband? How can I be a better father?' Such a good man. He still is a good man," Erika Kirk said. "He was the perfect father. He was the perfect husband."

She also spoke about his devotion to his brand, Turning Point USA, and promised that the movement her husband built "will never die."

"No one will ever forget my husband's name, and I will make sure of it. It will become stronger, bolder, louder and greater than ever," Erika Kirk said. "My husband's mission will not end. Not even for a moment."

She promised that the Turning Point USA-hosted American Comeback Tour will continue this fall and that there will be more tours in the years to come. Charlie Kirk was due to return to Utah on Sept. 30 to Utah State University for another stop on his tour.

"To all of the young people who felt inspired by my husband's faith and hard work, all of you already know what Charlie would want you to do. You know. If you're in high school or if you're in college, go find your local Turning Point USA chapter. Join it. Stay involved. He wants you to make a difference," Erika Kirk said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Friday announced that the man suspected of shooting and killing conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University has been arrested.

Related:

'We got him': Suspect in killing of Charlie Kirk in custody, Cox says

A southern Utah man suspected of killing conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University is in custody, Gov. Spencer Cox said Friday.

Tyler James Robinson, 22, of Washington, Washington County, was arrested in southern Utah after police received tips from Robinson's family members and a friend.

Erika Kirk thanked the local, state and federal law enforcement personnel, whom she said worked "tirelessly to capture my husband's assassin."

"The evildoers responsible for my husband's assassination have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith and of God's merciful love. 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," Erika Kirk said. "The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry."

Beyond getting involved in Turning Point USA, Erika Kirk urged people to join a "Bible-believing church."

"Our battle is not simply a political one. Above all, it is spiritual ... the spiritual warfare is palpable," Erika Kirk said.

"I will never, ever have the words to describe the loss that I feel in my heart. I honestly have no idea what any of this means. I know that God does, but I don't. But Charlie, baby, I know you do too," Erika Kirk said. "The movement's not going anywhere, and it will only grow stronger when you join it."

Charlie Kirk and his wife, Erika

Earlier on Friday, Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show," took on the duties of hosting the podcast alongside Kirk's friends.

"Of course, I have left his chair open and empty because nobody will ever fill it, nobody could ever hope to," Kolvet said on the show.

Tyler Bowyer, a TPUSA executive, joined Kolvet on the show. "It's been really hard," he confessed, visibly emotional. He encouraged supporters to share their stories about Kirk. Blake Neff, who traveled with Kirk the past two years, was with Kirk the day he died.

"It gives me some solace and some comfort to know that you were there with him on campus that day," Kolvet told Neff. "I was just grateful to be able to call you ... and it's not fair to you that you had to be there."

Neff recalled Kirk trying to fine-tune his arguments prior to taking the stage at Utah Valley University.

"What it was about, it was, 'What are the good arguments in favor of marriage? A Christian version of marriage," Neff revealed. "It gets back to one of the core things: how much he loved Erika, how much he loved their children and how much he cared for them."

The group joked about Kirk's transformation after he met his wife. "Better clothes. They actually fit," said Bowyer. She helped him look well-dressed and stylish.

"I was just remembering Charlie being when I first met him. It was like, everything was baggy and the suits didn't fit and like, the collars were always out," he said.

Friends like Donald Trump Jr., the president's son, tried helping Kirk with his fashion sense, or the lack thereof, Bowyer said on the show. "They gave him a $10,000 gift card at one point to the Trump tailor in Manhattan to get him some proper suits."

"Charlie's faith became so much stronger as soon as Erika came around," Bowyer said.

"She is fierce. She is strong. She's obviously distraught and hurting as we all are."

The pair met at a pivotal point in Kirk's life. Prior to the first Trump rally organized by TPUSA in Arizona, Erika, the freshly crowned Miss Arizona, called the TPUSA offices and asked to get involved. She attended the rally. Bowyer saw her thirst to do something and her commitment to faith and asked her to work for the organization. But this plan fell apart, sort of.

"I had introduced her to Charlie, was like, 'I think she could be great … and Charlie was immediately in love."

That was over a decade ago. They got married on May 8, 2021, and shared four years of marriage together.

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