Haunting image of Charlie Kirk's wife as she escorted his body home
It had been more than a day since Charlie Kirk was gunned down and the main clues so far were a palm print, a shoe impression and a high-powered rifle found in a wooded area prompting authorities to seek the public’s help. That was until Donald Trump made the announcement that the suspect is in custody.
Here are the latest updates in the fatal shooting of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk:
Charlie Kirk’s wife is in this image you see. While some of you mock and celebrate his death, she’s experiencing a level of pain most of us could never imagine. She just lost her husband. Their children just lost their father. A family has been shattered.
— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) September 12, 2025
Charlie wasn’t just a… pic.twitter.com/Dqk3UTyjO7
Charlie Kirk’s widow escorts his body home
The 31-year-old was killed by a single shot on Wednesday in a “targeted attack” that the governor of Utah called a political assassination.
Kirk was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit political organization. At the time of the fatal incident, he was speaking at a debate at Utah Valley University. He was shot in broad daylight on the university campus and pronounced dead at a hospital a few hours later.
Kirk’s casket aboard Air Force Two arrived in Phoenix, the headquarters of Turning Point USA, Thursday night. Vice president JD Vance helped carry the casket alongside other uniformed service personnel. Vance’s wife Usha stepped off the plane holding the hand of Kirk’s widow Erika.
Erika was later photographed riding in the backseat of car escorting Kirk’s body to a chapel in Arizona. She waved at supporters and was seen holding a necklace bearing a cross.
Vance on social media talked about his friendship with Kirk that began in 2017 when Kirk sent a message to Vance on X after his appearance on Tucker Carlson show. He “told me I did a great job … and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today,” Vance posted online on Wednesday.
People celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death could lose their U.S. visas
Existing visas could be revoked or denied of people celebrating Kirk’s death, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau posted on X Thursday.
“In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country. I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action,” Landau posted on X.
He urged the people on the social media platform to highlight such comments by “foreigners to my attention so that the State Department can protect the American people.”
In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country. I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light…
— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) September 11, 2025
Kirk’s suspected killer identified as Tyler Robinson, 22
“I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” the U.S. president said on Fox News Friday morning. A few hours after Trump’s announcement, the suspect was taken into custody and identified as Tyler Robinson, 22.
“We got him,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said. The governor also said that Robinson was not a student at the Utah Valley University where Kirk was fatally shot.
In the run-up to the shooting, Robinson is said to have become “more political,” his family told officials. Cox also cited as key pieces of evidence engravings on bullets found in a rifle believed used in the attack as well as messages attributed to the accused shooter that a roommate shared with law enforcement after the shooting. Cox said on Friday, “He was living, and had lived for a long time, with his family in Washington County.”
After the update from FBI, Trump posted a tribute post for Kirk on Truth Social and wrote, “Everybody Loved Charlie!”
Trump’s early morning announcement came after he appeared on the daily talk show Fox & Friends and was asked if there had been any developments in the assassination of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
Trump said the information was made available to him five minutes before he was set to appear on the Fox News show. He said he hopes the killer gets death penalty.
“Kirk was the finest person and he didn’t deserve this,” the U.S. president said, adding that Kirk was like a son to him.
Utah governor’s plea for help to catch Kirk’s killer
The investigators released a series of photos and video of the suspect they believed assassinated the 31-year-old Trump ally as he spoke to students gathered in the courtyard of the Utah Valley University in Orem.
“We cannot do our job without the public’s help right now,” Cox said during a press conference on Thursday. “The public has answered our call for action.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has received over 7,000 tips and leads, Cox said. Director of FBI Kash Patel was also in attendance but did not speak. Cox said that the last time authorities received this many tips was during the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.
A US$1,00,000 award is being offered for information leading to the arrest, Cox said.
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