JD Vance escorts Charlie Kirk’s casket home as wife Usha walks hand-in-hand with widow Erika

Vance and Kirk were close friends and Second Lady Usha walked with Kirk's widow Erika and accompanied her on the trip home.

Escorted by a military pallbearer detail across the tarmac in Salt Lake City, Kirk’s flag-draped casket was placed aboard Air Force Two for transport back to his home state of Arizona. His widow, Erika, was visibly emotional, her grief shared in silence with Second Lady Usha, who clasped her hand as the two women descended from the plane together in Phoenix. Kirk is survived by his wife and two children, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.

From there, Kirk’s body was reportedly taken to Hansen Memorial Chapel. He will be laid to rest in Arizona, with former President Donald Trump confirming he will attend the funeral. “I believe the funeral will be held next weekend,” Trump told reporters Thursday evening, adding, “I’ll be there.”

The images of Vance, his wife Usha, and Erika Kirk together underscored the national significance of Kirk’s death, which has sent shockwaves across the country. Vance shared his recollection of getting to know Kirk, as so many have done in the days since his assassination. Vance had launched his Senate campaign and was a guest on Tucker Carlson's Fox show. Kirk had reached out afterwards to tell him he'd done a good job.

The tributes to Kirk come as federal and state authorities intensify their search for his killer. Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon while speaking at an outdoor event hosted by Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Witnesses described chaos as attendees dropped to the ground when gunfire rang out. Many knew instantly, from the impact of the bullet, that Kirk had minimal chances of survival.

On Thursday, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason released a video showing the suspect running across the roof of a campus building before leaping to the ground. Additional surveillance footage obtained by TMZ appears to show the same individual limping through a nearby residential neighborhood in a black shirt, hat, sunglasses, and a backpack.

The FBI has released several still images of the person of interest, describing him as a male wearing jeans, a black shirt with an American flag and eagle emblem, a gray cap, and black sunglasses. Officials confirmed that a $100,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the suspect’s identification and arrest.

Authorities said the suspect “blended in well with a college institution,” which allowed him to escape in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Two individuals were detained and questioned but later released. Investigators are now gathering footage from local homes and businesses, including images showing the suspect fleeing through backyards in the tight-knit community near the university.

As Kirk’s family prepares for his burial, the manhunt continues. Federal agents have vowed to use every resource to track down the assassin. Meanwhile, supporters across the country have rallied around Erika Kirk, Turning Point USA, and the movement Kirk helped build.