A mentor and close friend of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old political activist tragically killed in Utah on September 10, has shared the harrowing details of the final moments of his life.
Frank Turek, a Christian author and Kirk’s long-time mentor, was present at the Utah Valley University event where Kirk was hosting a debate on behalf of Turning Point USA, an organization he founded to promote conservative views in schools.
The event, which had a crowd of around 3,000 supporters, took a devastating turn when Kirk was shot in the neck by a single bullet.
The audience, which included Kirk’s wife, Erika—former Miss Arizona—and their two young children, witnessed the unthinkable.
Who is Frank Turek?
Frank Turek, who is the founder of CrossExamined.org, took to his YouTube channel to describe the scene and his reaction. He recalled how the atmosphere at the event was electric, with the crowd chanting “USA” as Kirk tossed MAGA hats into the air.
Turek even FaceTimed his family to share the moment. However, everything changed when Kirk answered a question about gun crime, followed by a shot that echoed through the room.
“I was standing right behind Charlie when the shot rang out,” Turek said. “I ducked for cover and then scrambled to help him.”
Kirk was rushed to the hospital by Turek and his team while CPR was performed. Though hospital staff managed to briefly restore a pulse, Turek shared that it was clear that nothing could be done to save him.
Reflecting on Kirk's final moments, Turek said, “Charlie wasn’t there. His eyes were fixed. He wasn’t looking at me; he was looking past me, right into eternity. He was with Jesus already.”
Turek later confirmed that Charlie had died instantly and felt no pain. "So if that's any comfort at all, Charlie didn’t suffer. He was gone, with Jesus—absent from the body, present with the Lord," he added.
The tragedy has sparked various conspiracy theories, one of which claimed that Turek himself had been involved in signaling the shooter, a theory that Turek addressed in his video.
He described the idea as “ridiculous” and emphasized that he had been holding his phone while FaceTiming his family during the event.
“It’s crazy that people actually believe this stuff,” Turek remarked. “But, you know, if it’s on the internet, it must be true, right? Don’t believe in these crazy conspiracy theories. You need evidence.”
Turek went on to express his disbelief upon learning of the conspiracy, saying, “I didn’t even know about it. For… 30 hours after the murder, we were in a bubble. When I finally met my wife back in Phoenix, she goes, ‘There are millions of people who think you were in conspiracy to kill Charlie.’ I’m like, ‘What? That’s crazy.’”