Doctors tried everything to save 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk after he was shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10. But “it was hopeless.” He was rushed to the hospital, where President Donald Trump later confirmed his death.

On September 21, thousands gathered at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to honor him. Trump called Kirk a “giant of his generation” and said America is “a nation in shock and mourning.” Vice President JD Vance added that Kirk had “changed the course of history.”

The most emotional tribute came from his widow, Erika. She shared the surgeon’s words about Charlie’s final moments: “I looked directly at my husband’s murdered body… I saw the one, single grey hair… Now he knows. Sorry baby, I’m telling you now.” She added that he had a faint smile and that doctors assured her “it was something so instant.”

A Turning Point USA spokesperson later noted the bullet did not exit his body, which the surgeon described as unusual for such a high-powered round.

The suspected shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, has been arrested and faces the death penalty.