Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative commentator and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. He leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two young children.

Kirk was known as a fierce pro-Trump voice and campus debater, often speaking about crime and the Second Amendment. Beyond politics, he was described as “a devoted husband and father,” a role his family says defined him most. His wife and children were present at the event when he was shot but escaped unharmed. Kirk died at a hospital about 90 minutes later.

He met Erika in 2018, recalling that he knew “almost immediately” she was “the one.” They married in May 2021 in what Erika described as a “very intimate” ceremony. Together, they welcomed a daughter in August 2022 and a son in May 2024. Protecting their privacy, Kirk once said: “We have a girl and a boy and it’s no one’s business what their names are or their faces.”

Just days before his death, Kirk posted his final public photo holding his son, writing: “God. Family. Country. In that order.”

Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk.