Featured Image Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Topics: Charlie Kirk, US News, Politics
Dan Seddon
Erika Kirk explained that her late husband was 'ready to die' during a heart-rending speech at his memorial service over the weekend.
The mother of two paid tribute to her husband, right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, 31, on Sunday (21 September) after he was assassinated on campus at Utah Valley University less than two weeks ago.
Just days after Kirk's shocking death, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was arrested and charged with seven offences, including aggravated murder and obstruction of justice. He remains in custody and could face the death penalty.
Sunday's memorial service was held at the State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, which saw tens of thousands of mourners attend to pay their respects to Kirk - including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Tesla boss Elon Musk.
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While speaking emotionally on stage, Erika, 36, suggested in front of the audience that her husband was actually 'ready to die'.
"While Charlie died far too early, he was ready to die. There was nothing he was putting off," she said. "There was nothing that was too hard or too painful."
Continuing, Erika pointed out that her other half 'left this world without regrets'.
"He did 100 percent of what he could every day... Charlie died with incomplete work but not with unfinished business."
She also revealed to the thousands in attendance what the surgeon told her about Kirk's passing.
Referring to how she first witnessed her husband's body, Erika shared: "I saw on his lips the faintest smile. And that told me something important. It revealed to me a great mercy from God in this tragedy.
"When I saw that, it told me Charlie didn't suffer. Even the doctor told me - it was something so instant that even if Charlie had been shot in the operating room itself, nothing could have been done.
"There was no pain, there was no fear, no agony. One moment, Charlie was doing what he loved, arguing and debating on campus, fighting for the gospel and truth in front of a big crowd, then he blinked. He blinked and saw his saviour in paradise."
Andrew Kolvet, of Turning Point USA, tweeted about the nature of his colleague's death on social media before the service, with him saying that a 'lack of an exit wound' essentially saved the lives of others on stage that day.
"I'm usually not interested in delving into most of this kind of online chatter, and I apologise this is somewhat graphic, but in this case, the fact that there wasn't an exit wound is probably another miracle, and I want people to know," he wrote on social media.
"I just spoke with the surgeon who worked on Charlie in the hospital... He said the bullet 'absolutely should have gone through, which is very, very normal for a high powered, high velocity round. I've seen wounds from this caliber many times and they always just go through everything.
"This would have taken a moose or two down, an elk, etc. But it didn't go through. Charlie's body stopped it."