Beloved Actor Fatally Shot While Helping Stranger Escape Domestic Incident.

A beloved actor from Richmond, Va., is being remembered as a selfless hero who lost his life while trying to protect others during a violent domestic incident.

Adam Turck was shot early Saturday morning and was kept on life support for a time so his organs could be donated, according to WTVR, WRIC, and WWBT.

“Adam will be 35 years old when he passes in the next few days, after donating his organs to help save the lives of others,” Turck’s family told WTVR in a statement issued before he was officially pronounced dead. “That’s what heroes do — they save the lives of others.”

According to Richmond police, Turck had been walking his dog when he came across a domestic dispute between a man and a woman. Attempting to intervene and calm the situation, Turck was shot by the man, who then took his own life, WTVR reported.

“Adam put his life on the line to protect someone in need, and we will forever remember him for this sacrifice,” his family’s statement continued. “Although we cannot go into details on the events of this past Saturday due to the nature of the event, we were told that if Adam had not been there, the person he intervened to help would not be with us today.”

Friends, family, and members of the community gathered at Richmond’s Firehouse Theatre to honor Turck’s life and work, WRIC reported. The Virginia Repertory Theatre, where Turck was a frequent performer, described him as “a light, both on stage and in every space he entered.”

The organization mourned his death in a statement, calling Turck “a gifted actor, passionate activist, and beloved member of our community,” whose “artistry, integrity, and fierce compassion touched so many of us.” The theatre added, “This is a profound loss we share as a community.”

Turck was a fixture in the local arts scene. According to WWBT, he had received multiple nominations for Richmond Theatre Community Circle Awards and won Best Actor in a Play in 2018 for Hand to God. His most recent performance was in Cadence Theatre’s production of Smoke, and he was preparing for a lead role in Dracula: A Comedy of Horrors at Richmond Triangle Players this fall.

Beyond the stage, Turck was an active member of the local fitness community at Tequila & Deadlifts. The gym honored his memory in a heartfelt social media tribute that reflected on his character and presence.

“I cannot explain the size of the hole that has been left, not just in our gym community or our theater communities, but in the fabric of this world to lose somebody like Adam,” gym owner Kerith Rae told WWBT. “He’s the kind of person people write about in books because they want to be that good — and he just was. And this world is a duller, darker place without him.”