Charlie Kirk was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights and nearby Prospect Heights, Illinois. His mother was a mental health counselor, and his father was an architect whose firm was involved in designing the Trump Tower in New York City. Kirk was raised in a politically moderate household in Illinois. He was married to Erika Frantzve, a former Miss Arizona, whom he married in 2021. Together, they had two young children, a daughter and a son. Kirk's family lived a relatively private life despite his public political career. His wife and children were reportedly present with him at the Utah Valley University event where he was fatally shot in 2025.