Who is Frank Turek? Charlie Kirk's mentor describes the moments after activist's assassination, saying "he was with Jesus already"

Frank Turek, Charlie Kirk's mentor and a Christian apologist, recounted his first-hand account of witnessing the conservative activist's murder during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot in the neck, was announced dead hours after the incident occurred. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been arrested and charged with Kirk's fatal shooting.

Frank Turek is a known Christian apologist, author, radio host, and the founder of CrossExamined.org, a non-profit ministry started in 2006 to conduct "dynamic I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist seminars on college campuses, churches, and high schools," as per the non-profit's website.

In a recent episode of his podcast Cross Examined, which premiered on September 17, 2025, Turek delved into his friendship with the late political activist, adding that he met Charlie Kirk when the latter approached him for mentorship in Christian apologetics years ago.

He also revisited Kirk's shooting, saying that he had been positioned about 30 feet to Kirk's right, and was on a call with his son and daughter-in-law when the shooting occurred.

"It sounded like it was close. We later learned it was from over a 100 yards away. And out of the corner of my eye, I see Charlie go back, so I start to head towards Charlie, and I see that the security guys are already there, so then I duck, thinking there were other shots coming, and I'm still on the phone. My daughter-in-law told me these were my first words out of my mouth, 'No, no, no, no, no,'" Turek said.

Political activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead at Utah Valley University (Image via Getty)

Seemingly overcome with emotion, Turek continued to explain that he and four other security guards carried Charlie Kirk to their car and laid him in the backseat to drive him to the hospital. He added that they were unable to close the car door as Kirk's tall stature prevented them from doing so, and they drove to the hospital with the door open.

Turek continued that he and the security tried to stop the bleeding and attempted CPR, but they were too late as Charlie Kirk had already passed.

"I'm coming over the back seat, and Charlie's laid out right in front of me. And Charlie's so tall we can't close the door. We drove four miles...all the way to the hospital with the door open...We're trying to stop the bleeding. And I'm yelling, 'Come on, Charlie, come on,'" he said.

He continued:

"We gotta start CPR, we try and start that. 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. He was killed instantly and felt absolutely no pain. That's what I was told later. But of course, I had to try. There's nothing any of us could do about it. We were giving CPR, but nothing was happening."

Kacee Allen

@KaceeRAllen

Christian author Frank Turek, the man in the white hat to the right of Charlie Kirk when he was assassinated believes Charlie was instantly with Jesus upon being struck. "Erika asked me to share this..." "He looked beyond me, straight into eternity. He was already with Jesus.

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Frank Turek said he considered Charlie Kirk his son

According to his biography on the CrossExamined.org website, Frank Turek graduated with a master’s degree from George Washington University. Later, he earned a doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary. Turek was a former aviator with the US Navy before he began his career as a Christian apologist.

In 2006, he founded CrossExamined.org, a non-profit, evangelical, inter-denominational Christian ministry. Through the non-profit, Turek visits various campuses, schools, and churches to conduct seminars based on his 2004 book I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, which he co-authored with Norman Geisler. The website describes the non-profit as:

"CrossExamined.org is a non-profit ministry started in 2006 that conducts dynamic I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Atheist seminars on college campuses, churches, and high schools. Led by Frank Turek and other Christian apologists, CrossExamined.org exists to address the problem that 3-out-of-4 Christian youth leave the church while in college, many because they are intellectually skeptical."

Frank Turek has authored or co-authored five books in total, which include:

• Legislating Morality: Is it Wise? Is it Legal? Is it Possible? (1998)
• I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (2004)
• Correct, Not Politically Correct: How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone (2008)
• Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to Make Their Case (2014)
• Hollywood Heroes: How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God (2022)

Additionally, Turek hosts regular television and radio programs and has appeared as a guest speaker on networks such as Fox News, CBS, and ABC. On a personal front, he and his wife, Stephanie, have three sons and two grandchildren.

In his recent podcast episode recounting Charlie Kirk's shooting, Turek stated that Kirk was like his fourth son, which pushed him to get into the car carrying the political activist to the hospital following the shooting.

"Charlie Kirk was literally like a son to me. I have three sons. He was like my fourth son. My three sons are a little bit older than Charlie; he was like my fourth son. So when he was hit… if your son got hit, what would you do? 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 said.

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A memorial service for Charlie Kirk is reportedly planned for September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.