Utah Valley University shooting: Surgeon says Charlie Kirk’s neck stopped bullet, likely preventing more casualties

A surgeon who treated Charlie Kirk after the Sept. 10 shooting at Utah Valley University told Turning Point USA (TPUSA) that the bullet did not exit Kirk’s neck, a circumstance he said likely prevented injuries to people standing behind the speaker, according to an account shared publicly on Sept. 20.

Kirk, a right-wing political activist, was shot dead while addressing thousands during a TPUSA event on the campus on Sept. 10. His assailant allegedly used a .30-06 bolt Winchester rifle, a firearm typically used by big-game hunters. Because the weapon “can eliminate animals six times larger than humans,” the fact that Kirk’s neck absorbed the bullet was described as a “miracle” in posts summarizing the surgeon’s comments.

On Sept. 20, TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet summarized a surgeon’s remarks in a post on X. He noted that while he typically avoids online speculation—and apologized for the graphic nature of the topic—the absence of an exit wound in Charlie’s case was “probably another miracle” that he felt people should understand.

Kolvet said he had just spoken with the hospital surgeon who treated Charlie. According to Kolvet, the surgeon explained that the bullet ordinarily “should have gone through,” which is typical for a powerful, high-velocity round. He’d seen similar injuries from this caliber many times and said they usually pass straight through—force sufficient to drop a large animal like an elk or even a moose.

According to Kolvet, the bullet did not go out the other side; Charlie’s body absorbed it.

Kolvet added that he told the doctor there were dozens of staff, students, and guests standing directly behind Charlie on the far side of the tent. The doctor, he said, called it “an absolute miracle that someone else didn’t get killed,” praising Charlie’s bone density as so impressive that he likened him to “the man of steel.” The surgeon said a through-and-through shot could likely have struck and killed people behind him.

According to Kolvet, a coroner (not named) discovered the round just below Kirk’s skin and concluded: “Even in death, Charlie safeguarded those around him.”

Days after the 31-year-old’s death, the FBI announced it had detained a lead suspect, Tyler Robinson. It was reported that Robinson was turned in by his father, a Republican voter, while Robinson’s grandmother said authorities “have the wrong man.” Robinson allegedly made flippant jokes with friends before his arrest about two grainy surveillance images released during the search, showing a slim young man of college age wearing a cap and sunglasses.