‎Vice President J.D. Vance personally escorted the casket after flying in from Utah, where Kirk was killed earlier this week. On landing, the casket was carefully unloaded from the aircraft, as a solemn motorcade and white hearse awaited to transport him through Phoenix.

‎Kirk’s widow, Erika, was seen descending the plane steps holding hands with Second Lady Usha Vance — a quiet moment that captured the grief surrounding the loss.

‎Before the flight, Kirk’s casket was driven to the Utah airfield in a Cadillac hearse before being placed aboard Air Force Two.

‎Vance and Kirk shared a close relationship, and the Vice President had earlier posted a heartfelt tribute following the shocking assassination.

‎Kirk was shot and killed while taking part in a Q&A session with students at Utah Valley University. Authorities have released an image of a person of interest believed to have been on campus before the attack, apparently carrying a concealed weapon.

‎Drone footage from the aftermath showed the campus quad empty, with debris and an abandoned pop-up tent left behind after the chaos.

‎Investigators revealed that bullet cartridges found at the scene carried messages referencing transgender issues and antifascist slogans — a grim detail given Kirk’s outspoken stance against transgender rights.

‎In the wake of his death, President Donald Trump announced that Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Some of his allies in Congress are also calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to approve a statue in Kirk’s honor at the U.S. Capitol.