Erika Kirk Remains Steadfast Second Amendment Supporter After Murder of Husband: Shooting Not a ‘Gun Problem’

Dealbook/The New York Times

Erika Kirk said her support for the Second Amendment has not wavered following the murder of her husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, in September.

During an interview at The New York Times’ Dealbook Conference in New York City on Wednesday, Kirk said gun violence is a complex issue that goes “much deeper” than merely talking about firearms.

“I wouldn’t wish upon anyone what I have been through, and I support the Second Amendment as well,” Kirk told host Andrew Ross Sorkin.

She pointed to multiple factors that she believes spur shootings in the U.S., including poor mental health, anxiety, and depression — particularly among young Americans. Kirk said her husband felt the same way.

“What I’ve realized through all of this is that you can have individuals that will always resort to violence. And what I’m afraid of is that we are living in a day and age where they think violence is the solution to them not wanting to hear a different point of view,” she said.

Kirk continued, “That’s not a gun problem, that’s a human — deeply human — problem. That is a soul problem, that is a mental [problem], that is a very deeper issue.”

Sorkin, earlier in the interview, asked Kirk about her decision to publicly forgive the suspected killer at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona.

Kirk said, “I don’t expect everyone to understand,” and that she is still enraged by the murder of her husband. But she said her Christian faith led her to forgiveness, and that it has helped her deal with her loss.

“It’s not because you’re weak, it’s not because you think what the assassin did was correct,” Kirk explained. “That’s the exact opposite. Forgiveness is… for those of you who’ve been wronged, you know what it feels like to forgive someone. And in a way, where it frees you from a poison, and it frees you to be able to think clearly and have a moment where your heart is free and you’re not bound to evil.”