“If you look at me, I’m dead”

Popular YouTube gun expert Paul Harrell announced his death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 58 in a posthumous video.

The late U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran, known for his gun reviews, gun instruction videos and Second Amendment advocacy, shared the heartbreaking update in a final message to his fans that was uploaded to his YouTube channel Tuesday by his manager, Brad Nelson.

In the six-minute clip, which Harrell said was recorded on December 20, 2023, he is seen sitting on a log in the woods with a crutch propped up next to him.

“If you look at me, I’m dead,” Harrell began in the video titled “I’m Dead.”

He continued: “A few months ago I was sitting here on this newspaper and I told you that I had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and I told you that they had caught it early and that we were going to be here for a while. Well, we caught it early, but not as early as I thought.”

Harrell noted that his fans have seen him use his crutch in his videos before and he explained that he recently broke his hip.

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“I broke my hip, but it wasn’t from an accident. It was because the cancer had spread to my bones,” Harrell said. “The bones collapsed, my hip broke, and I fell.”

“My time is running out,” he added.

Harrell then thanked his fans for supporting him through Patreon and asked them to continue doing so for a while, as he hoped his brother and other members of his team would take up his torch and create content for the channel.

“My goal in doing all this was, yes, to have fun, to do fun things, but most importantly to spread useful information,” he explained. “Or, if not useful, at least interesting information.”

“And what I really hope is that as you looked at me, you saw things that made you say, ‘Oh, I get it, OK.’ Things that made you change something that you did in a way that helped you,” he continued. “I really hope that seeing the reviews that we did saved you money, kept you from buying things that probably wouldn’t have been a good choice for you. And if those things happened, then we accomplished our goal.”

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“My sincerest apologies,” Harrell told his fans. “I had hoped to continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years. And even after I was diagnosed, I had hoped that we would be here for another two or three years, and it turned out to be just a few more months. And I apologize for that. I really feel like I let everybody down.”

“I think the last sentence, I haven’t really said this, is that I’m really glad I had the opportunity to do everything that we did,” he added, emotional. “I really hope it was helpful and I really appreciate you watching and commenting and participating, and I probably have very few regrets about what we did here.”

“I think we’ve succeeded, overall. I hope you agree. So, as always, don’t try this at home. And thanks for watching.”

After Harrell concluded his message, the video showed his brother Roy E. Harrell, Jr., who said he was “heartbroken” to confirm the content creator’s death.

“He wanted me to continue his legacy through this,” Roy said. “He will remain an inspiration to us all.”

Nelson then appears in the video as he introduces himself to Harrell’s viewers who may not know him, noting that he’s worked behind the scenes with the firearms expert since the network was “very small.”

“I was very privileged to have Paul in my life and to have him as a friend,” Nelson said. “He was a very generous and kind man, and he told the best stories around a campfire. He had a positive impact on many people’s lives, including mine, and I am very grateful for that.”

“We’re going to continue his legacy by uploading videos to this channel and continuing to educate people like Paul did,” he said. “But you can also continue his legacy by sharing your knowledge with others and your enthusiasm for firearms in the outdoors.”

“And just being curious and trying to learn new things like Paul did.”

After the clip was posted, Harrell’s fans took to the comments section to thank him for educating his viewers about gun safety and using his platform to advocate for gun owners’ rights.

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“A giant among giants,” wrote one fan. “Paul is not just a firearms enthusiast and educator. He is the firearms educator. Your contributions will be remembered by many for many years to come. Your teachings will live on.”

“Paul, you were the original YouTuber, and you will be deeply missed,” another added. “Thank you for your wonderful content!”

“Paul was the Mister Rogers of the gun world,” wrote one commenter. “Rest in peace Paul.”

Other viewers marveled at Harrell’s stoic demeanor as he announced his death in the video.

“I have never seen someone so calm and professional deal with their own death, months before it happened. Rest in peace Paul,” one fan commented.

“Paul’s final lesson was a masterful lesson on how to die with grace and dignity,” noted another viewer.

“A true example of masculinity,” wrote one fan. “Not an alpha who overcompensates and hides his insecurities. But a stoic, experienced, intelligent, self-aware, measured, respectful and courageous one.”

Source of the original article: Popular YouTube Gun Expert Paul Harrell Announces His Death at 58 in Video: ‘If You’re Watching Me, I’m Dead’