On Aug. 2, Adam Turck ’12 was fatally shot after stopping to help a woman involved in a domestic dispute in Richmond, Virginia. Turck was 35 years old.
At Ithaca College, Turck studied theater. In 2018, he was locally awarded the Best Actor in a Play for his role in “Hand to God.” Before he died, he was preparing to play Count Dracula in “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” at Richmond Triangle Players.
Outside of being an actor, Turck was also a trainer at Tequila & Deadlifts gym in Richmond. In social media posts made by friends and family remembering his life, he is often referred to as Superman. In a Facebook post from Aug. 3, Rachel Garmon-Williams, founder and executive director of Bridge 9 Theater, posted that Turck’s wound was too fatal to recover from.
“It is with great sadness that we share our superman Adam Turck will not be coming back from this,” Garmon-Williams wrote. “He will keep saving lives as an organ donor and begins that journey soon.”
In a report from the Richmond Police, it was confirmed that Turck walked by the dispute while walking his dog and attempted to intervene. The 19-year-old man in the dispute then drew a firearm from his backpack and shot Turck, and then shot himself.
KP Longoria, a friend of Turck’s and a member of the Richmond theater community, said via Instagram messaging that Adam made her feel welcome when she moved to Richmond.
“He took me under his wing and made it his mission to introduce me to everyone he knew, telling them who I was and that I was going to make a mark on this community,” Longoria said. “Adam was and will always be my hero. He inspired me every single day to be a better leader, a better artist, and a better human being.”
Tri Theta, a social theatre group that Turck was part of, posted that Turck’s kindness, bravery and talent will always be remembered.
“Richmond audiences have lost more than a world class actor, they’ve lost one of the best people you could ever hope to have beside you in the dark,” the post said. “The laughter and the applause will be a little quieter and there’s a seat that can never be filled.”
Longoria said she feels honored every day knowing that Turck had love in his heart for her.
“I will move through the world forever changed, more caring, more present, more devoted to my loved ones and to my passions, and forever asking myself in moments of doubt, “What would Adam do?” He was the best of us,” Longoria said. “The very best we could ever hope to be.”
Details about a memorial service or celebration of life are yet to be announced. In the meantime, friends, family and colleagues continue to remember Turck as a hero.
A previous version of this story misstated that Adam Turck graduated in 2011 instead of 2012. The story has since been updated to accurately reflect Turck’s graduation year.
This story has been updated to include statements from KP Longoria.
