PoliticsErika Kirk Recalls Believing Charlie Kirk Would Survive Fatal Shooting: 'He’s Going to Make It'
Erika Kirk relived her husband's death in a new profile.
Sept. 29 2026, Published 11:10 a.m. ET
Erika Kirk revealed that on the day her husband, Charlie Kirk, was shot, she clung to the hope that her husband would survive.
“I remember thinking, ‘He’s going to make it. He has a pulse,'” the 37-year-old widow said in a new interview.
Erika Believed Charlie Was Alive Until the Very End
Erika said she recalled every minute of the day Charlie died.
Charlie was fatally shot in the neck on September 10, 2025, and died almost instantly, though his status wasn't immediately known.
Erika, who was with her mother for an appointment on that day, learned of the shooting from Turning Point USA chief of staff Mikey McCoy. "Is he alive?" she asked.
By the time she made it to the scene, her husband was dead.
Erika Chose to See Charlie's Body
Erika recalled Charlie's 'smirk.'
Erika claimed the surgeon who operated on Charlie told her they used all the available blood in the hospital in an attempt to save Charlie's life.
She also recalled her decision to see her husband's body despite warnings from authorities.
“I looked back at [the police officer] and said, ‘With all due respect, I want to see what they did to my husband. I didn’t get a kiss goodbye this morning. I just want to kiss my husband,'” she said.
She says her late husband "had a smirk" in the hospital.
“I’ll never be able to put it into words, but Charlie had a smirk. It wasn’t sad.”
The quote was nearly identical to one she gave Jesse Watters in November of 2025.
She told the Fox News host, “He was still warm and his eyes were slightly open. He had this smirk on his face. It meant three things to me. First, that he died doing what he loved. Second was that he was at peace. [Third], I gave him a kiss."
- Erika Kirk Recalls the Heartbreaking Moment She Found Out Husband Charlie Was Shot: 'I Didn't Know What to Say'
- Erika Kirk Reveals Late Husband Charlie's 'Socks Are Still on the Floor' Months After His Murder: 'That's How It'll Stay'
- Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk's Parents Called Out for Their 'Lack of Togetherness' at His Suspected Assassin's Emotional Hearing: 'Huge Red Flag'
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Erika Watched Security Camera Footage of Tyler Robinson
Prosecutors could pursue the death penalty for Tyler Robinson.
Erika's Vanity Fair profile comes as the trial of Charlie's alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, is underway.
Erika watched security footage of the alleged shooter's activity the day Charlie was killed during a preliminary hearing last summer.
"I knew exactly where I was at each moment of the video,” she said.
Tyler has pleaded not guilty in the trial. The judge in the case ruled that prosecutors could pursue the death penalty because Tyler allegedly committed aggravated murder by putting others in danger by shooting Charlie at a crowded event.
She Preps Legal Action Against Utah Valley University
Erika intends to sue Utah Valley University.
Erika and other members of Charlie's family have announced their intent to sue Utah Valley University for failing to provide adequate security at the event where Charlie was slain.
Their lawyers allege that campus police ignored requests to secure the roof of the building from which Robinson allegedly shot Charlie.
"[Charlie's] murder was entirely preventable and, in fact, would not have happened had the State of Utah and UVU followed through on their stated security promises, which included protecting the rooftops surrounding the quad where Charlie was speaking,” said Brett Parkinson, the co-founder of law firm Parkinson Benson Potter, which is handling the suit.
