Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet revealed Saturday that Charlie Kirk’s surgeon said the bullet that killed Kirk never exited his body
The surgeon told Kolvet that, under normal circumstances, the high-powered round fired at Kirk should have gone straight through his body. Instead, it stopped just beneath his skin — a fact that may have spared the lives of dozens of people who had been standing directly behind him at the Utah Valley University event.
Kolvet, who also serves as executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, shared the surgeon’s remarks in a lengthy post on X. He admitted he is normally reluctant to wade into online speculation about medical or forensic details but felt compelled to speak this time because of the unusual nature of Kirk’s final injury.
I want to address some of the discussion about the lack of an exit wound with Charlie. I’m usually not interested in delving into most of this kind of online chatter, and I apologize this is somewhat graphic, but in this case, the fact that there wasn’t an exit wound is probably…
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) September 20, 2025
“I want to address some of the discussion about the lack of an exit wound with Charlie,” Kolvet wrote. “I’m usually not interested in delving into most of this kind of chatter, and I apologize this is somewhat graphic, but in this case, the fact that there wasn’t an exit wound is probably another miracle, and I want people to know.”
According to Kolvet, the surgeon explained that the ammunition used was from a high-powered, high-velocity rifle — the type of round capable of taking down a moose or an elk.
In nearly every other case he had seen, the round would have torn through the body and continued traveling. “This bullet absolutely should have gone through,” the surgeon reportedly told him. “I’ve seen wounds from this caliber many times, and they always just go through everything.”
When Kolvet informed the doctor that dozens of staff, students, and guests were seated directly behind Kirk at the moment he was shot, the physician’s response was chilling: “It was an absolute miracle that someone else didn’t get killed.”
The surgeon also noted Kirk’s remarkable physical resilience. He said Kirk’s bone structure and overall health may have slowed the bullet’s trajectory in a way rarely seen in cases involving such lethal ammunition. “His bone was so healthy and the density so impressive that he’s like the man of steel,” Kolvet relayed. “It should have just gone through and through. It likely would have killed those standing behind him too.”
Kolvet said the coroner later confirmed that the bullet had lodged just beneath Kirk’s skin, rather than exiting through his back. The finding has added another layer of reflection for those mourning Kirk’s death.
“Even in death, Charlie managed to save the lives of those around him,” Kolvet wrote. “Remarkable. Miraculous.”
Kirk’s supporters have pointed to the detail as further proof of what they describe as his life’s mission — protecting, inspiring, and defending those who followed him. For many, the final act of shielding others, even unintentionally, seems tragically fitting for a man whose career was defined by rallying young conservatives across the country.
The news comes as preparations continue for Kirk’s massive public memorial in Arizona, where more than 100,000 mourners are expected to gather. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are set to headline the event, underscoring the political and cultural influence Kirk wielded during his life.
Mourners have already been flocking to Turning Point USA’s headquarters in Phoenix, leaving flowers, candles, and handwritten notes at a makeshift memorial. One attendee told local reporters that the miracle described by Kirk’s surgeon only deepens the sense of loss. “The fact that his body somehow stopped that bullet — it just feels like God was using him to protect people, even in his final moment,” the mourner said.
Kirk, 31, was assassinated on September 10 while addressing students at Utah Valley University in Orem. The shooting took place during a “Prove Me Wrong” event, part of his American Comeback Tour on college campuses.
Authorities say 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a Utah resident, positioned himself on the rooftop of a campus building, aimed at Kirk with a bolt-action rifle, and fired a single shot that struck him in the neck.
Panic ensued as thousands of students fled the auditorium. After a 33-hour manhunt, Robinson was captured with the help of tips from his own family. He has since been charged with capital murder, obstruction of justice, and felony discharge of a firearm.
For now, many of Kirk’s friends and allies are holding tightly to the words of the surgeon who treated him. To them, the story of a bullet that should have exited but didn’t offers a sense of meaning in the middle of grief. As Kolvet put it, “Even in tragedy, there is a miracle. Even in death, Charlie Kirk saved lives.”