Charlie Kirks Kids at the Event: What Really Happened in Utah

It’s been months since that chaotic day in Orem, but the questions just don’t stop. People are still scouring the internet trying to figure out every tiny detail of what went down at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. One of the most common things people keep asking? Was Charlie Kirks kids at the event when the shots rang out?

Honestly, when you look at the headlines from that afternoon, it’s easy to see why things got so muddled. There was a lot of talk about "children" being present, and in the heat of a tragedy like that, wires get crossed. You’ve probably seen the social media posts or the comment sections where people were convinced his toddler daughter was right there in the front row.

But if we’re sticking to the actual facts of the case—the stuff that’s currently being argued in a Provo courtroom—the reality is a bit different.

The Truth About Charlie Kirks Kids at the Event

Let's clear the air: Charlie Kirk’s children were not at the Utah Valley University event.

At the time of the assassination, Charlie and his wife Erika had two very young children. Their daughter was roughly three years old, and their son was only about 16 months old. While Erika was often seen at TPUSA rallies and was a constant fixture by Charlie’s side, the kids weren't typically part of the "Live at the Table" campus tour stops. These events are loud, high-energy, and—as we unfortunately saw—extremely unpredictable.

So, where did the rumor start?

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Well, it basically boils down to two things. First, Erika Kirk’s heartbreaking public statement shortly after the shooting. She talked about the gut-wrenching moment she had to tell their daughter that "Daddy is on a work trip with Jesus." It was a viral, emotional moment that naturally linked the kids to the news cycle of the event.

The second reason is much more technical. During the legal proceedings against the suspect, Tyler Robinson, prosecutors mentioned "violent offense committed in the presence of a child" among the charges. If you’re just skimming a news alert, you might assume that means his kids.

Who were the children mentioned in court?

The "child" mentioned in the legal filings wasn't a Kirk. It turns out that an 18-year-old—who is legally a child of a deputy county attorney—was in the crowd. This has actually caused a massive headache for the prosecution. Defense attorneys for Robinson have been trying to get the entire Utah County Attorney’s Office disqualified because this "child" (the prosecutor's daughter) was a witness.

She wasn't just there; she was texting her dad from the scene. One text literally said "CHARLIE GOT SHOT."

There was also a 12-year-old boy in a MAGA hat mentioned in several reports. He had wandered to the front of the line because he wanted to debate Charlie. His mom lost track of him during the stampede when the shooting started. These are the "kids" the media and the courts were talking about—not Charlie’s own son and daughter.

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Life After the Tragedy: How the Family is Doing Now

It’s been a heavy road for the Kirk family. Erika Kirk has since stepped up as the CEO of Turning Point USA. She’s essentially taken the mantle of the organization while raising two toddlers on her own.

There was actually a weird bit of drama recently involving Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna. She was on a podcast and accidentally said Erika "lost her kids." The internet, being the internet, immediately started a rumor that Erika had lost custody. It was a mess. Luna had to go on X (formerly Twitter) to clarify that she just misspoke—she meant the kids lost their father.

• Daughter: Now about three and a half.
• Son: About 18 months old.

They’re living a very private life now, which makes sense given the security concerns. While their names are out there, the family has been careful to keep them away from the cameras as the murder trial of Tyler Robinson moves toward a potential death penalty case in 2026.

Why the Confusion Still Matters

The reason people keep asking if was Charlie Kirks kids at the event is because of how we consume news today. We see a headline about "a child at the scene" and we fill in the blanks with the most dramatic version possible.

In reality, the event was a "critical incident" involving hundreds of students and several minors, but the Kirk children were safely away from the Orem campus that day. Knowing this doesn't make the event any less tragic, but it does change the narrative of the trauma the family is processing.

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What’s Next in the Case?

If you're following the legal side of this, keep an eye on Judge Tony Graf’s courtroom. The defense is still pushing hard on the conflict-of-interest angle regarding the prosecutor’s daughter. They’re arguing that because a staff member’s kid was 85 feet away from the gunman, the whole office is too emotionally compromised to be fair.

The judge hasn't bought it yet. He recently ruled that there wasn't enough evidence of bias to toss the prosecutors out.

What you can do now:

• If you see claims on social media about the Kirk children being "witnesses" or "present," you can confidently point to the court affidavits that show the minors involved were local students and family members of the legal teams.
• Check the official TPUSA updates for Erika Kirk’s "American Comeback" initiatives if you’re looking for how the organization is moving forward.
• Follow the Fourth District Court filings in Provo for the most accurate, non-sensationalized updates on the Tyler Robinson trial.

The story is complicated enough without the extra rumors. Sticking to the court records is the only way to get the full picture of what happened that September.