By Alex Vena
Published
Sep. 6, 2024, 12:36 p.m. ET
Paul Harrell, known for his YouTube page dedicated to gun safety education and firearm reviews, died following a battle with pancreatic cancer — and broke the news to fans himself.
In a video titled “I’m Dead” that was posted on Tuesday (Sept. 3), the 58-year-old explained that he had recorded the announcement on Dec. 20, 2023, and had instructed Brad Nelson, his editor and manager to “publish it upon [his] death.”
“So if you’re watching me, I’m dead,” he shared.
According to E! News, Harrell had shared the news of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis on his YouTube channel in June 2023. However, as he elaborated upon in his death announcement video, they caught the cancer “early, but not as early as [he] had thought.”
“And it has spread faster than I thought it would,” he continued. “You may have seen me recently using this crutch when I told you I broke my hip. Well, it wasn’t because I was injured in any kind of accident, it was because the cancer spread to my bones, the bones crumbled [and] my hip fractured.”
He gave viewers his “sincere apologies,” saying that he “had hoped that [he] would continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years.”
“I am really glad to have had this opportunity to do all of the stuff we have done,” he told viewers. “I really hope that it’s been helpful. I really appreciate you watching, commenting, and participating. And I have probably very few regrets in what we’ve done here. I think we’ve been, for the most part, successful. I hope you agree.”
Harrell signed off with the following: “So as always, don’t try this at home, and thanks for watching.”
The video, which clocks in at six minutes and fifty seconds in total, eventually cut to Harrell’s brother, Rob Harrell, who said that he is “heartbroken to announce that what you heard is true.”
“It was his wish that I maintain his legacy through this channel by continuing to put out high quality educational content with the flare we all know and love from him,” he iterated.
On behalf of himself and the crew, Rob requested that subscribers give them “some time to process the death of [his] brother and find the best way to honor his memory.”
“I thank everyone in advance for your patience and understanding, and we will give channel updates as we move through this together,” he noted.
Nelson also shared a message with fans, praising Harrell as “a very generous, kind guy [who] told the best campfire stories” and who has “positively influenced many people’s lives, including [his] own.”
While he said they “are going to be continuing his legacy by uploading videos on this channel, eventually, and continuing to educate people the way that Paul did,” he also assured viewers that they can continue Harrell’s legacy “by sharing [their] knowledge with people and [their] enthusiasm for firearms and the outdoors, and just by being curious and striving to learn new things like Paul did.”
Watch Harrell’s video above.
