After her husband was shot dead at the age of 31, Erika Lane Frantzve, the wife of controversial US activist Charlie Kirk, posted something on social media that has caused readers to view it in a different way.
On September 10, Frantzve was at the debate event at Utah Valley University with Kirk and their two young children when Kirk was shot dead by a lone gunshot from a nearby rooftop.
Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point when he was just eighteen, was present at the debate with his group. The group sought to disseminate conservative ideas at liberal-leaning US universities, and Kirk gained notoriety for engaging in heated debates with students about issues like family values, climate change, and transgender identity.
Kirk was shot in front of a crowd while he was standing beneath a white tent and speaking into a microphone, according to footage from the debate.
Kirk had been a close ally of Donald Trump, who later confirmed his passing in a post on Truth Social, calling him “legendary.”
Some of Kirk and his family’s last actions before the shooting have come into focus, and social media users noticed that Frantzve had posted a Bible verse before the assassination that became even more moving afterward.
At 12:45 p.m., she posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
The death of Kirk was confirmed within a few hours.
Since then, Frantzve has been inundated with condolences from social media users. One person wrote: “Jesus is holding you in his warm embrace.” We are devastated.
Another said, “It is a testament of the Lord that you posted this prior to the event.”
Hours before her husband passed away, Erika Lane Frantzve shared her post (X/@MrsErikaKirk).
“Your husband is with Jesus,” a third person wrote. He was an inspiration and a hero. I know it isn’t comforting to you and your precious babies right now, but you will see him again. I’m very sorry that you’re experiencing this. This nation is rife with evil.
After meeting Kirk three years prior, Frantzve, the 2012 Miss Arizona USA, married him in 2021.
Frantzve expressed her love for her husband on Instagram in 2022, writing: “God knew all along, it was you.” Charles James, you are my entire tomorrow as well as my today. How honored I am to be your wife, and how fortunate I am to have you as my husband. May God continue to be exalted in our marriage. I will always and forever love you.
Two children were born to Frantzve and Kirk after their marriage: a son in May 2024 and a daughter in August 2022.