Erika Kirk named CEO of Turning Point USA after Charlie Kirk assassination

Turning Point USA has appointed Erika Kirk as its new CEO and chair of the board, following the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, the organization’s founder.

In a statement on Thursday, board members said Charlie Kirk had prepared the group “to survive even the greatest tests” and that Erika Kirk would now lead the organization.

“It is our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA,” the statement read. The board pledged to continue Charlie Kirk’s mission, saying his work would “become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before.”

Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot and killed last week while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was struck by a bullet to the neck from a sniper on a nearby rooftop in what Utah Governor Spencer Cox described as a “political assassination.”

Authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson after a manhunt. He is being held without bail on charges including aggravated murder, and officials said he was identified after confessing to a relative. Prosecutors have said Robinson could face the death penalty.