Thousands gathered at State Farm Stadium in Arizona to honor Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist killed on September 10 while speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Utah. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Kirk’s widow, Erika, paid tribute during an emotional service. Trump called Kirk a “giant of his generation,” while Erika moved the crowd by urging faith and publicly forgiving her husband’s killer.
Authorities revealed Kirk was shot with a Mauser Model 98 .30-06 bolt-action rifle, a decades-old firearm commonly used in World War I and II and possibly untraceable due to its age. Such rifles are rarely used in crimes, according to the ATF.
In a startling revelation, doctors believe Kirk’s body may have saved others. The surgeon said the high-powered bullet should have passed straight through but instead stopped in Kirk’s neck, likely due to his unusually strong bone density. Officials say the bullet lodging in his body may have prevented additional deaths among those standing behind him.
The FBI has arrested suspect Tyler Robinson, who was turned in by his father. While Robinson’s grandmother claims authorities have the wrong man, the investigation remains ongoing.
