A beloved stage actor in Richmond, Virginia, was shot and killed Saturday morning after stepping in to protect a woman from a violent dispute.
Adam Turck, 35, a fixture in the city’s theater and fitness communities, was walking his dog Lana through the historic Church Hill neighborhood when he came across a heated argument between a teenage man and a young woman. Witnesses say Turck tried to calm the situation, but the 19-year-old man pulled a gun from his backpack, shot Turck, and then turned the weapon on himself.
Police arrived just after 10 a.m. to find both men critically wounded. Turck was rushed to the hospital but didn’t survive. His family says his organs will be donated, calling it his final act of selflessness. “If Adam had not been there, the person he intervened to help would not be with us today,” they said. “That’s what heroes do – they save the lives of others.”
The woman was not injured. Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards called the killing “a heartbreaking reminder” of the toll of gun violence, especially when it strikes those simply trying to help.
Turck’s death has sent shockwaves through Richmond’s arts community. Friends and colleagues describe him as brilliant, generous, and fearless. “He’s the kind of person people write about in books because they want to be that good — and he just was,” said friend Kerith Rae. “The world is a duller, darker place without him.”
Turck moved to Richmond after touring with Olney Theatre’s National Players and went on to win the Richmond Theatre Community Circle’s Best Actor award in 2018 for Hand to God. He was set to star in Dracula: A Comedy of Horrors this fall and had just wrapped his final performance in Smoke.
Virginia Repertory Theatre remembered him as “a gifted actor, passionate activist, and beloved member of our community,” adding that “Richmond’s lights are dimmer today, but his legacy will burn brightly in us all.”
Known for his unwavering loyalty, playful spirit, and strong moral compass, Turck was also deeply devoted to Lana, the dog he adopted from Southside Animal Control. His family says they hope the lives saved through his organ donation “will know they hold the soul of a hero within them.”
Memorial events are being planned across the city, where many are calling him “our Superman.” As his family wrote, “We’re looking up for you, Adam. We’re gonna keep looking up.”