Charlie Kirk may have saved lives even with his passing, according to Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet. Kirk, a conservative political commentator and media personality, was shot in the neck on 10 September 2025 (11 September Philippine time) while engaging in one of his “Prove Me Wrong Table” debates at Utah Valley University.
“I just spoke with the surgeon who worked on Charlie in the hospital,” Kolvet said in a post on X. The surgeon, who was not named, commented on Kirk’s lack of an exit wound, saying that the bullet “absolutely should have gone through,” noting it was powerful enough to take down large game such as a moose or an elk, and that Kirk’s body stopped it.
Kolvet added that TP USA staff, university students, and guests were standing behind the tent where Kirk was shot.
“It was an absolute miracle that someone else didn’t get killed,” Kirk’s surgeon replied.
He went on to remark that Kirk’s bone density was “so so impressive that he’s like the man of steel,” before concluding that the bullet would probably have killed anyone standing behind him.
Prosecutors have identified the weapon used in Kirk’s assassination as a Mauser Model 98, a bolt-action rifle that had been modified to fire more powerful ammunition.