Savannah Chrisley said she was "devastated" after the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, telling followers in a tearful TikTok video that she had been scheduled to join him on a college speaking tour that began the day he was killed.
Chrisley, a 28-year-old reality television star and host of the "Unlocked" podcast, said Kirk "changed my life" and called him a "lifelong friend" who had supported her and her family. In the video she posted Wednesday, she said she was "supposed to be standing next to him at every college this October" for the American Comeback Tour, which opened at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, 31, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on Wednesday during an event that included a debate with an attendee about gun violence, authorities and multiple accounts said. He is survived by his wife, Erica Frantzve, and two young children, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
In her remarks, Chrisley said Kirk gave her "a voice as a woman" and "made me feel like I had the power to show up in this world." She described him as a man of faith whose belief in her and her family made a lasting difference. "Take politics out of it…Charlie was a young man, a husband, and a father," she said, adding that her "heart aches for Erika and their children."
Chrisley also shared similar sentiments in a social media caption, writing that Kirk had welcomed her into the Turning Point family and had "spoken life into us." She told Kirk's widow, "I love you. And I am with you," and said she was "numb" and still processing the loss.
National figures and entertainers offered public condolences after the shooting. Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," and said Kirk was "loved and admired by ALL." Actors and public figures including Chris Pratt and Candace Cameron Bure posted messages of prayer and mourning on social media.
Local and federal authorities have been investigating the shooting. Details about the circumstances leading to the shooting, including a timeline of events inside the Utah Valley University venue and information about suspects or charges, were being developed by law enforcement on Wednesday.
Chrisley, who rose to fame on reality series including Growing Up Chrisley and Chrisleys: Back to Reality, said she had been brought into the Turning Point community over the past year and was planning to travel with Kirk on weekends through October. Her public tribute emphasized his role as a mentor and supporter during difficult periods for her family.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA to engage young people in conservative politics and was a prominent and sometimes controversial voice on college campuses and in conservative media. News of his death prompted expressions of shock across political and entertainment circles on Wednesday and renewed discussion about security at campus events.
Authorities and Turning Point representatives did not immediately provide additional comment beyond statements released Wednesday. Law enforcement agencies said they would release further information as investigations continued and as families were notified.
Chrisley concluded her video by saying she would carry the memory of Kirk's support with her, and expressed mourning for his family. "Charlie…you changed America. You changed me. You changed my family. Rest easy, my friend," she said.