Conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University.
Although Utah’s governor described Kirk’s killing as a “political assassination,” one of his former colleagues from Turning Point USA was focused on what Kirk’s death means for his family.
Matt Lamb, 31, who worked with Turning Point USA during its formative years from 2013 to 2017, spoke with PEOPLE about his reaction to Kirk’s fatal shooting on Wednesday, Sept. 10, in Orem, Utah.
“I certainly feel for his family,” Lamb said. “I’m praying for them. … He loved his wife and loved his kids. You could just tell by the way he talked about them.”
Kirk, 31, married Erika Kirk in 2021 after they had begun dating three years earlier. Together, the couple shared two children — a daughter born in August 2022 and a son born in May 2024.
“I hope that his organization lives on,” Lamb added. “But, I mean, certainly he has a more important legacy than Turning Point in his wife and his two kids. His legacy will live on through that.”
Lamb first met Kirk in 2013, when both were still students. He initially joined Turning Point as a volunteer before becoming a full-time staffer in 2015. As one of roughly 30 of the organization’s earliest employees, he traveled across college campuses to engage students on conservative issues and help grow the group’s national presence.
Over the years, Kirk rose to become one of former President Donald Trump’s closest confidants, serving as an important ally across Trump’s three presidential campaigns.
“He was a gifted political activist,” Lamb said.
“Even in this event [where he was shot], he was very dedicated to civil dialogue with people he disagreed with,” Lamb continued. He noted that Kirk often embraced difficult conversations, such as earlier this year when he joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast for an extended debate despite their opposing views. Newsom later condemned Kirk’s killing as “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” as the shooting drew outrage from across the political spectrum.
Lamb said the last time he and Kirk personally spoke was about three years ago. Earlier this year, Lamb attended a Turning Point event at Purdue University, where he had hoped to reconnect with Kirk but arrived too late. “I regret not getting there earlier,” he said.
At that event, Lamb recalled, there had been strong security measures in place, including barricades between Kirk and attendees.
Authorities have since confirmed that a person of interest in the shooting is in custody, though they have not released the individual’s name publicly.
As Lamb reflects on his time working alongside Kirk, he recalls recognizing early on that Kirk was positioning himself to become a significant political figure.
“You could tell he was just someone who was well spoken, and you wanted him in charge of whatever you wanted to get done,” Lamb said. “He had that sense that if you gave it to him, he would get it done. And you know, even back then, [Turning Point] hadn’t raised nearly the amount of money or had nearly the amount of staff they have now, but he was just very confident in what he was trying to do.”
