Erika Kirk has reaffirmed her support for the Second Amendment despite the assassination of her husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, earlier this year. Speaking at the New York Times DealBook Summit on Wednesday, she insisted that his death was 'not a gun problem' but rather a result of deeper issues such as mental health and divisive politics.
'What I've realized through all of this is that you can have individuals that will always resort to violence,' she told columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin. 'That's not a gun problem, that's a human - deeply human - problem. That is a solution problem, that is a mental... that is a very deeper issue.'
Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on September 10 at Utah Valley University by Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old left-wing college dropout who allegedly justified the killing by saying 'some hatred cannot be negotiated with.' Erika Kirk, a former Miss Universe contestant, has publicly forgiven the alleged shooter, stating at her husband's memorial service that 'the answer to hate is not hate.'
At the summit, she revealed that the decision to offer forgiveness was last-minute, explaining that it frees her from 'a poison' and allows her to think clearly. She has since taken over as CEO of Turning Point USA, the organisation her husband founded, and said she channels her pain into purpose, focusing on raising their two children and continuing his legacy.
