Erika Kirk vowed in a September 12 speech to continue her husband’s movement and said that “the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”

It was Erika Kirk's first public appearance since her husband was killed while speaking with students at Utah Valley University days earlier.

“The evil-doers for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said in a livestream on the YouTube page of Turning Point USA, the conservative movement her husband started out of high school in Illinois that has since swept college campuses around the nation.

Kirk’s address came in the aftermath of authorities announcing that they had captured a suspected shooter in Kirk’s killing. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told reporters later in the morning that Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody after a family member contacted a family friend, who then informed authorities that Robinson had "confessed to them or implied that he committed the incident."

The mother of two spoke from her husband’s studio where he delivered The Charlie Kirk Show. The desk was outfitted with white hats with a gold number "47," a reference to President Donald Trump. The conservative talk show host was a strong proponent of the 47th president.

Kirk promised that her husband will not have died in vain and said that instead his message would only become stronger.

“They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith and of God’s love,” she said. “They should all know this. If you thought my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea. You have no idea what you have unleashed across this country and this world.”

She added: “You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife.”

She said her husband’s campus tour will continue, more tours will come and his radio and podcast show will go on.

How long had they been married?

Born Erika Frantzve, Kirk married her husband in May 2021, according to the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network and a social media post by Erika.

She worked as a real estate agent with The Corcoran Group in New York City, according to her LinkedIn profile, and is also the founder of Everyday Heroes Like You, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community empowerment.

Kirk was also a former beauty queen, having been crowned Miss Arizona USA in 2012.

How old are their children?

The couple shared two children, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son, according to posts on social media.

The talk show host had not revealed his children's names and has largely kept their faces off of social media.

"We have a girl and a boy and it’s no one's business what their names are or their faces," the influencer said in June 2025 while on his show.

Contributing by Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Saman Shafiq

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'No idea what you have unleashed': Charlie Kirk’s wife delivers first public address

Reporting by Michael Loria and Amanda Lee Myers, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect