It is an account both devastating and strangely consoling.

Frank Turek, a leading Christian apologist, author, and longtime friend of Charlie Kirk, has spoken publicly about the final moments of the conservative activist’s life. On Tuesday, Turek devoted an episode of his Cross Examined podcast to recounting his friendship with Kirk and the harrowing events that unfolded after the shooting last week in Orem, Utah.

Turek was on stage at Utah Valley University when the gunfire erupted and Kirk was struck. In the chaotic aftermath, he was among those who accompanied Kirk to the hospital, witnessing firsthand the final chapter of his friend’s life.

Adding to the weight of his testimony is the fact that Turek himself has been pulled into the swirl of conspiracy theories online. Social media users have accused him—without evidence—of engaging in “hand signals” tied to the assassination plot, a claim he has strongly rejected.

On his podcast, however, Turek set those rumors aside to focus on his relationship with Kirk and the moments that followed the attack. He described their bond, their shared faith, and then, in solemn detail, the end of Kirk’s life—emphasizing one small mercy: Kirk, he said, “didn’t suffer.”

For grieving friends, family, and supporters, it may be the only comfort to be found in an otherwise senseless act of violence.

Frank Turek Recounts Final Moments With Charlie Kirk: ‘He Was With Jesus Already’

Frank Turek remembers the sound vividly—a sharp pop that seemed close by. It wasn’t until moments later he realized it was the report of the assassin’s rifle.

On stage at Utah Valley University, Turek saw his friend Charlie Kirk collapse. Instinctively, he moved toward him, but then caught sight of Kirk’s security team springing into action. Only then did Turek duck for cover.

What followed was a frantic rush to save Kirk’s life. Members of his team lifted him into an SUV, struggling to fit his tall frame inside. Turek himself jumped into the hatchback just as the vehicle lurched forward, one rear door still hanging open.

Inside, the scene was equal parts chaos and prayer. With Kirk sprawled across the seats, those gathered tried CPR, even as Turek—a Christian apologist and author with a doctorate in ministry—realized the reality of what he was witnessing.

“Charlie wasn’t there,” Turek recounted on his Cross Examined podcast. “His eyes were fixed. 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. That’s what I was told later. But of course we had to try.”

At Orem’s Timpanogos Regional Hospital, doctors managed to restore Kirk’s pulse briefly, a testament, Turek said, to his overall health. But the reprieve did not last.

“The doctor later said that we got a pulse because Charlie was a very healthy man,” Turek recalled. “But the shot was catastrophic, so, 20 or 30 minutes later, the surgeon came out and said he was dead.”

By now, the public knows the broad outlines of Kirk’s death: the arrest of his suspected killer, the investigation into motive, and the grim spectacle of activists who openly celebrated the assassination of a young man, leaving behind a widow and two children.

What Turek offers is something different—an intimate account of the moments after the shooting, the desperate ride to the hospital, and the final confirmation of what he already knew.

And while the ending was inevitable, he emphasized one small comfort.

“If that’s any comfort at all,” Turek said, “Charlie didn’t suffer. He was gone. He was with Jesus. Absent from the body, present with the Lord. That’s where he was.”