Eyewitness Relives Desperate Effort to Save Charlie Kirk After Campus Shooting

A Christian author and close friend of Charlie Kirk has detailed his eyewitness account of the final moments following the conservative activist’s assassination, describing desperate efforts to save the 31-year-old as he was rushed to a hospital.

Dr. Frank Turek, who was present during the Sept. 10 assassination at Utah Valley University, said Kirk was "literally like a son to me" and recounted the chaotic scene that unfolded after the shooting.

"I have three sons. He was like my fourth son," Turek said. "So when he was hit, if your son got hit, what would you do? I got in the car because if there was any way I could save him, I had to do something."

He recounted that Kirk's security team quickly loaded Kirk into an SUV that they had commandeered to rush him to the hospital. He said that he then scrambled to enter the SUV, ultimately climbing through the back gate as the vehicle lurched forward.

The group of men drove about four miles to the hospital with the SUV's door unable to close due to Kirk's height. He described the harrowing ride to the hospital as team members tried to revive Kirk while navigating traffic.

"We're trying to stop the bleeding," Turek said. "And I'm yelling, come on, Charlie, come on. Come on."

He said that during the trip, his phone remained connected, allowing his son and daughter-in-law to hear the emergency unfold in real time.

He applauded Kirk's security team for their professionalism under extreme pressure, saying they "were much cooler than I" and "were calmly, but swiftly doing exactly what they were trained to do."

The group came across an oncoming ambulance at one point during their race to the hospital, but chose to continue driving rather than stop. He said doctors later said this was the correct choice.

"The doctor later said that was the right thing to do," Turek said, describing how the SUV cut through intersections while honking its horn despite having no emergency lights or sirens.

Turek said during the trip he attempted to perform CPR on Kirk, but realized the activist had already died from his wounds. He described Kirk's eyes as "fixed" and said he "wasn't looking at me" but rather "looking past me, right into eternity."

"He was with Jesus already," Turek said, adding that doctors later confirmed Kirk suffered no pain and had died instantly from the gunshot.

Despite their best efforts, Turek acknowledged there was nothing the group could have done to save Kirk's life. He said that better first aid, medical facilities, or faster response time would not have changed the outcome.

"We couldn't," Turek said. "So if that's any comfort at all. Charlie didn't suffer. He was gone. He was with Jesus, absent from the body, present with the Lord."

He noted that at one point, hospital staff were able to briefly restore Kirk's pulse, providing "a small sliver of hope" as the group prayed for a miracle. However, it was later determined that the gunshot wound was "catastrophic" despite Kirk's excellent physical condition.

"The doctor later said that we got a pulse because Charlie was a very healthy man, but the shot was catastrophic," Turek said.

According to Patel, investigators also collected extensive forensic evidence, including DNA traces from a towel wrapped around the discarded firearm and a screwdriver found on a campus rooftop.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Robinson's political views had "shifted drastically" in recent years after immersing himself in online gaming and "dark internet" culture, moving away from his conservative family background toward "leftist ideology."

Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA, has scheduled a public memorial for Sept. 21 at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix.