Charlie Kirk’s casket was flown to Arizona and escorted in a motorcade Thursday to Hansen Mortuary Chapel in Phoenix, where his widow, Erika Frantzve, acknowledged supporters gathered outside the chapel.
Frantzve, wearing sunglasses and holding a rosary, waved from the backseat of an SUV as a crowd waved American flags and watched the procession. Vice President J.D. Vance arranged for the transfer after Kirk was killed at an event in Utah and accompanied the family on the flight, officials said.
Kirk, the founder of conservative group Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck by a single round fired from a sniper position atop the Losee Center on the Utah Valley University campus as he began the first stop of his "American Comeback" tour, authorities have said. The shooter remained at large as of Thursday.
Earlier in the day, Vance canceled plans to attend a 9/11 commemoration at Ground Zero in Manhattan and traveled to Utah with his wife, Usha Vance, to be with Kirk’s family. At Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base in Salt Lake City, the vice president helped carry Kirk’s wooden casket onto Air Force 2 during a private ceremony. Frantzve and Usha Vance stood nearby as the casket was placed aboard the plane.
Vance paid tribute to Kirk on the social platform X, calling him a friend and recalling how their relationship had grown over the years. "Charlie was constantly calling and texting, checking on our family and offering guidance and prayers," Vance wrote. He added that Kirk had supported him before his Senate campaign and praised Kirk’s willingness to learn and to welcome others: "With Charlie, the attitude was never, ‘I told you so.’ But: ‘welcome.’"
Frantzve, a former Miss Arizona who married Kirk in 2021, and the couple’s two young children were reportedly in Utah for the event when he was shot. Frantzve and Usha Vance were photographed stepping off Air Force 2 hand in hand at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to watch the wooden casket be transferred to a hearse for the roughly 10-mile drive to the chapel.
President Donald Trump said he spoke at length with Frantzve after the shooting and that he planned to attend Kirk’s funeral, calling it an "obligation." Trump also announced he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Law enforcement agencies have said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Authorities have not released information identifying a suspect or motive, and officials urged anyone with relevant information to come forward.
Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, routinely spoke at college campuses and political events. His death prompted an outpouring of condolences from Republican leaders and supporters, and raised questions about security at political gatherings as federal and local authorities pursue the investigation.