Charlie Kirk Shooting: Witness Contradicts Candace Owens’ Claims

Conservative commentator Candace Owens faces mounting backlash after Tracy Martin, a close friend of Charlie Kirk’s widow, publicly refuted Owens’ claims suggesting prior knowledge of the fatal shooting.

Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was killed during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. In the months following his death, Owens has promoted various theories questioning the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the actions of those closest to Kirk, including his widow Erika.

The controversy intensified when Martin, whose daughter reportedly works for Erika Kirk, appeared in an interview with commentator Graham Allen to directly address Owens’ allegations. Owens had previously claimed that Martin’s daughter felt uncomfortable about attending the event where the shooting occurred, insinuating possible foreknowledge of the attack.

“Charlie knew exactly who he was marrying, and God knew that Erika would be the woman she is right now,” Martin stated during the interview, firmly defending Erika Kirk’s character and rejecting Owens’ narrative.

Martin didn’t mince words when addressing how her statements had been misrepresented. “I think when something is taken out of context, plugged into the narrative and then ran out, I can see where people get twisted on this,” she explained. She described Owens’ framing of events as “very manipulative” and warned about the dangers of “conspiracy psychosis” where individuals “feed the narrative and then they are able to reframe that in any way they wanted to.”

The political media landscape has been quick to amplify the dispute. Allen, who conducted the interview with Martin, promoted it as a direct rebuttal to what he characterized as false claims perpetuated by Owens.

Social media reaction has been swift and largely critical of Owens. Many users praised Martin for defending Erika Kirk and directly confronting the allegations, while others called for Owens to issue a retraction of her previous statements.

“Candace slandered Erika’s BFF Tracy Martin, claiming she had foreknowledge of Charlie’s death. Tracy proved otherwise and asked Candace, ‘how are you going to right this wrong against my family?'” read one widely shared post. “Candace promised to ‘instantaneously’ put a message out. SHE STILL HASN’T.”

As of this reporting, Owens has not publicly responded to the latest wave of criticism. Her silence has only fueled further backlash from those demanding accountability for what they view as harmful conspiracy theories.

The ongoing controversy highlights the broader issue of misinformation in today’s political discourse. Kirk’s assassination stands as one of the most shocking political killings in recent American history, and the spread of unsubstantiated claims surrounding his death demonstrates how conspiracy narratives can take hold, particularly in highly polarized media environments.

The dispute between Owens and Martin also underscores the real-world consequences that such allegations can have on individuals grieving the loss of a loved one. As Martin indicated in her interview, the promotion of conspiracy theories has added an additional layer of pain for those closest to Kirk as they attempt to process their grief.

With pressure mounting and calls for a retraction growing louder, observers are watching closely to see how Owens will respond and whether this incident will impact her credibility among her audience.