Glendale, Arizona: In an emotional tribute at State Farm Stadium during a memorial service for her late husband, Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk tearfully declared that she forgives the young man accused of fatally shooting him. Speaking before thousands, she said her act of forgiveness was inspired by Christ’s teaching: “The response to hate is not hate. The gospel calls us to love—even our enemies.”
Authorities last week charged 22-year-old Tyler Robinson with murder in connection with the shooting. Erika, 36, recalled the devastating moment she saw her husband’s lifeless body in a Utah hospital just hours after the attack at Utah Valley University. Despite her grief, she said she found solace in prayer and in the compassion shown by others, adding that even in his final moments, her husband radiated kindness and grace.
The widow, now raising two young children, said she believes her husband’s legacy must be one of faith, forgiveness, and love. “I choose to forgive,” she told the crowd, describing it as the hardest yet most necessary act in her life. Her words left the stadium silent, many moved to tears as she urged others to live with compassion.
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