Erika Kirk says she will ‘never’ watch Charlie’s shooting video as it could ‘mark your soul'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: CEO of Turning Point USA, Erika Kirk, shared her emotional journey of coping with her husband Charlie Kirk’s death during an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watter. She revealed she intentionally avoided watching the video of the shooting.

"I never saw the video, I never will see it. There are certain things you see in your life that you can never unsee. There are certain things you see that mark your soul forever. I don’t want my husband’s death to be something I ever see. I don’t want my kids to see it either," she said.

Night before Charlie Kirk’s shooting

Erika Kirk recalled the night before the shooting, when she and her daughter slept in the couple’s bed while Charlie took their daughter’s room to get a “good night’s sleep” ahead of a speaking engagement. 

"That night, he was so excited. I mean, he was like, I can’t wait, it’s going to be the best," she said. The next morning was her last chance to see him alive. Before leaving, Charlie grabbed his wedding ring and necklace.

She said, "I didn’t even get to give him a kiss goodbye." Erika had stayed in Arizona to look after her mother, who was dealing with a medical issue, following Charlie’s advice: "Charlie was like, home needs you. Home needs you, be home. Come with me on Thursday to the next event we have.”

Erika Kirk receives call confirming Charlie Kirk’s death

While at her mother’s doctor’s office, Erika and her mother were watching a video of Charlie engaging with the crowd at Utah Valley University. Moments later, a call came from Mikey.

"I’ll never forget, him just being like, Charlie’s been shot. He’s been shot, get the kids. Get security, get the kids, get the kids, he’s been shot," she recounted.

The shock caused her to collapse. Erika explained that Charlie was struck in the neck by a single round, dying instantly. "The way the bullet hit him, he died instantaneously. He died on the scene. But I’m so glad he didn’t suffer. No one deserves to suffer, but a handful of people. He literally blinked and probably thought he was raptured and looked around," she said

Erika Kirk reflects on safety concerns

Erika revealed she had often expressed safety concerns about Charlie’s heated campus debates.

"I used to say, Charlie, have you ever thought about wearing a vest?" she said. Charlie would reply, "'If they’re going to get me, they’re gonna get me.' He wasn’t afraid. Wouldn’t have mattered anyway if you wore a vest."

Erika Kirk recalls last hospital moments

Upon arriving in Utah after the shooting, Erika was stopped by a police officer who advised her to wait for the mortuary. She insisted, "With all due respect, sir. I want to see what they did to my husband and I want to give him a kiss because I didn’t get to give him a kiss this morning."

When she saw him in the hospital room, she said, "When you see someone at the mortuary, they never look the same. He was still warm, and his eyes were slightly open. It was so powerful, Jesse. He had this smirk on his face." That smirk, Erika said, captured his continued mission: "You thought you could stop what I’ve built. You got my body. You didn’t get my soul."

Erika Kirk will receive the inaugural Charlie Kirk Legacy Award at the seventh annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards.