Frank Turek was not far from political activist Charlie Kirk — physically and ideologically — when he was assassinated Sept. 10.
The Christian apologist and author recounted what happened that day in a new podcast episode, “The Greatness of Charlie Kirk: An Eyewitness Account of His Life and Martyrdom,” per Fox News.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at Utah Valley University when he was struck by gunfire and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was 31.
Turek, who considered Kirk his son, was rode with Kirk on the way to the event. Kirk, his team and Turek discussed possible student questions and subsequent answers.
After they arrived at the outdoor venue, Turek said he was concerned with the large number of nearby buildings. He feared they were a possible safety risk, but Kirk was confident in his private security and the local police.
Turek, about 50 feet away from Kirk FaceTimed family members. During a question about transgender violence, Turek heard a single shot. Kirk fell backward.
“I’m still on the phone, and my daughter-in-law told me these were the first words out of my mouth, ‘No, no, no, no, no,'” Turek said. “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.”
Turek and Kirk’s security team raced to a hospital while performing CPR and praying.
“Charlie’s so tall, we can’t close the door,” he said. “We drove four miles… all the way to the hospital with the door open.”
Turek encouraged Kirk to hang on.
“Come on, Charlie! Come on! Come on!” he yelled.
But Turek realized Kirk was gone.
“Charlie wasn’t there. His eyes were fixed,” he said. “He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking past me right into eternity. He was with Jesus already. He was killed instantly and felt absolutely no pain.”
There was nothing they could do to save Kirk.
“If that’s any comfort at all, Charlie didn’t suffer,” he said. “He was gone. He was with Jesus. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. That’s where he was.”
Even though doctors were able to restore Kirk’s pulse, he was pronounced dead within half an hour, Turek said.
The first calls made by the Turning Point USA team were to Kirk’s wife, Erika, and Vice President JD Vance.
Erika Kirk arrived at the hospital where she said she would carry on his legacy.
“She said, ‘He loved you, and he was doing what he wanted to do,’” Turek said. “Then we just held one another, and she expressed that she wanted to keep Charlie’s legacy going. … That woman is not going to be denied. If this assassin thought that he was going to end Charlie’s legacy, he just poured gasoline on it, and Erika is going to lead the charge.”
Erika then asked about the cross necklace her husband wore that had gone missing.
Turek found the cross draped over his own computer bag — Kirk was lying it as he was taken to the hospital.
His widow later held up the necklace as she escorted his body to a chapel in Arizona.
Turek talked of Kirk’s humility, discipline and devotion to family.
One of the last texts Kirk sent Turek was the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 16:9: “A wide door for effective work has opened up to me, and there are many adversaries.”
