At Charlie Kirk’s funeral service, his longtime friend and Christian apologist Frank Turek gave mourners one of the most detailed and emotional accounts yet of the conservative activist’s final moments.
Speaking at the service, Turek recounted being at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, when Kirk was fatally shot during a Turning Point USA event. He said Kirk’s security team rushed him into an SUV and sped toward the hospital, while those inside the car—including Turek—desperately tried to help.
“Charlie wasn’t there. His eyes were fixed. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me right into eternity,” Turek told mourners. “He was with Jesus already. He felt absolutely no pain. That’s what I was told later. But of course we had to try.”
Turek added that they even considered giving Kirk CPR inside the vehicle, though it was clear almost immediately that the wound had been devastating.
Despite the grim scene, Turek revealed there was a fleeting moment of hope. According to him, doctors briefly managed to find a pulse:
“They did get a pulse back, we were praying for a miracle. The doctor said, ‘We got a pulse because Charlie was a very healthy man. But the shot was catastrophic.’”
That short-lived hope quickly ended, confirming Kirk had died from his injuries before he could receive full medical care.
Kirk’s shooting in front of hundreds of students sent shockwaves across the country. In the immediate aftermath, police mistakenly detained an elderly man at the scene, but he was soon released when evidence pointed elsewhere. The FBI then circulated surveillance images of a suspect in dark clothing, sunglasses, and a cap.
Days later, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the arrest of 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a student at Utah Valley University. In a twist that stunned many, Robinson’s own father—Matthew “Matt” Robinson, a sheriff’s deputy and minister—was the one who turned him in to U.S. Marshals.
“The person was involved with law enforcement, but was a person of faith, a minister, and brought him to a U.S. Marshal who was fantastic,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News. “They drove into the police headquarters, and he’s there now. We have the person that we think is the person we’re looking for.”
