Christian apologist and author Frank Turek has shared a deeply emotional account of Charlie Kirk’s final moments, describing the conservative activist’s death as sudden, peaceful, and spiritually profound.
Turek, who was just feet away when Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University on September 10, recounted the tragedy in a podcast titled The Greatness of Charlie Kirk: An Eyewitness Account of His Life and Martyrdom. He described Kirk as a mentee who had become like a son.
The morning of the event began with excitement, as Kirk and his team, including Turek, prepared for a campus appearance. After a brief stop to meet local entrepreneurs, Kirk arrived at the outdoor venue, engaging with supporters and tossing hats into the crowd.
Despite Turek’s concerns about nearby buildings and potential safety risks, Kirk remained confident in his security detail.
During a Q&A session, a single gunshot rang out. Turek, still on a FaceTime call with family, watched Kirk collapse.
“No, no, no, no, no,” he recalled shouting.
“If your son got hit, what would you do? I had to do something.”
Turek and the security team rushed Kirk to the hospital in their SUV, performing CPR en route.
“Charlie’s so tall, we couldn’t close the door,” he said.
“We drove four miles with the door open, yelling ‘Come on, Charlie!’”
But Turek said he knew Kirk was already gone.
“He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me right into eternity. He was with Jesus already.”
Doctors briefly restored Kirk’s pulse, but a surgeon pronounced him dead within 30 minutes. Hospital staff described his injuries as “catastrophic.”
Turek concluded with a message of comfort:
“Charlie didn’t suffer. He was gone. He was with Jesus. Absent from the body, present with the Lord.”
