On Aug. 2, Adam Turck ’11 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.

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.”

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.