Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, was named the new CEO and chair of the board for Turning Point USA after her husband — the founder of the organization — was killed on Sept. 10, the board announced on Thursday.
“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side. Charlie prepared all of us for a moment like this one. He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests. And now, it is our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA,” the board announced in a letter shared on X on Thursday.
The board “unanimously elected” Erika Kirk, saying that “in prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death.”
Charlie Kirk and and his wife Erika Lane Frantzve during the Turning Point USA Inaugural-Eve Ball, January 19, 2025 in Washington.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Erika Kirk is scheduled to speak at her late husband’s memorial service on Sunday in Arizona alongside President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and others.
The Department of Homeland Security has designated Charlie Kirk’s memorial service as a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1 event, which is “reserved for events of the highest national significance,” a department official said.
In addition to Erika Kirk — who was a frequent presence by her husband’s side at speaking engagements and public appearances — Charlie Kirk also leaves behind two children, a son who turned 1 in May and a daughter who turned 3 in August.
In her first public message since her husband’s death, Erika Kirk said “no one will ever forget my husband’s name.”
“You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry,” Erika Kirk said Sept. 12.
The conservative influencer was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
After a two-day manhunt, Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested for allegedly shooting Charlie Kirk and charged on Tuesday with a slew of offenses, including aggravated murder, with prosecutors announcing the intent to seek the death penalty.
He was also charged with felony discharge of a firearm causing serious body injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of violent offense in the presence of a child, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray announced on Tuesday.
Tyler James Robinson attends a virtual court hearing from Utah County Jail, September 16, 2025 in Spanish Fork, Utah.
Utah State Courts via Getty Images
Robinson also made his first court appearance on Tuesday. His next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29.
Before he turned himself in to authorities, Robinson’s parents asked him why he committed this crime, to which he allegedly said “there is too much evil and the guy [Charlie Kirk] spreads too much hate,” according to charging documents.
The suspect also allegedly texted his roommate after the shooting that he “had enough of this hatred.”
“Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” one of the messages read.
Exactly what Robinson was allegedly referring to by “hate” was not clear. Investigators noted that Robinson’s mom told them that her son allegedly began having a relationship with his roommate, who is transitioning, and had begun leaning to the left more politically, becoming “more pro-gay and trans-rights oriented,” but the document does not indicate the relevance of those stances or whether Kirk’s remarks about those issues were a motivating factor.
Gray said he would let a judge determine whether the statements allegedly made constituted a confession. He declined to comment on whether Robinson has been cooperating or spoken to investigators.
A man places flowers at a makeshift memorial as students return to classes at Utah Valley University following the killing of commentator Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah, September 17, 2025.
Jim Urquhart/Reuters
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is investigating “anyone and everyone” involved in a chat on Discord — a group chat messaging platform — where the suspect sent messages two hours before he was taken into custody, admitting he shot the conservative influencer.
“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all…It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this,” one of the messages read.
Patel said there are “a lot more” than 20 people linked to Robinson on Discord and that the FBI is “running them all down. He added that a “number of individuals” are currently being investigated.
Students at Utah Valley University, where the shooting occurred, returned to campus on Wednesday, one week after the conservative influencer was killed.
ABC News’ Will Steakin and Luke Barr contributed to this report.