One of the great things about the internet is the wealth of information one finds online. We truly are in the third great revolution of mankind, the first being the Agricultural Revolution, then the Industrial Revolution, and now the Information Revolution. Everyone who has a computer, a tablet, or even a smartphone has the world at their fingertips. Never in the history of humanity has information been so widespread or so easy to obtain.
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Being a gun guy, I’ve spent a lot of happy hours reading about obscure firearms and tidbits of firearms history over the years, and if you’ve read my Sunday Gun Day posts, you’ve seen some of the results of that curiosity. I’ve also watched a fair amount of gun videos on YouTube and Rumble, with one of my favorites being YouTube gun guru Paul Harrell.
A while back, Paul announced to his viewers that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On Tuesday, he took to his YouTube channel to announce his own death.
Popular YouTube firearms expert Paul Harrell announced his own death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 58 in a posthumous video.
The late U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran, who was known for his gun reviews, firearms instruction videos and 2nd Amendment advocacy, shared the heartbreaking update in final message to his fans that was uploaded to his YouTube channel Tuesday by his manager, Brad Nelson.
In the six-minute clip, which Harrell said was recorded on Dec. 20, 2023, he was seen sitting on a log in the woods with a crutch lying beside him.
“If you’re watching me, I’m dead,” Harrell began in the video, which was titled “I’m Dead.”
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Pancreatic cancer is particularly nasty. We have some experience with it, as a good friend of mine’s wife died a few years back of pancreatic cancer. It strikes quickly and kills quickly, with the patient often dying within weeks or months of diagnosis.
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Paul’s fans quickly took to the comments on his final video to sing his praises.
After the clip was posted, Harrell’s fans took to the comments section to thank him for educating his viewers about gun safety and using his platform to advocate for gun owners’ rights.
“A giant amongst giants,” one fan wrote. “Paul, is not simply a gun enthusiast and educator. He is thee Gun Educator. Your contributions will be remembered by many for many years. Your teachings will live on.”
“Paul you were the OG Youtube Gun guy, and you will be missed profoundly,” another added. “Thank you for your wonderful content!”
“Paul was the Mister Rogers of the gun world,” one commenter wrote. “RIP Paul.”
Building a dedicated following on the internet is time-consuming and, frankly, a lot of work. But Paul certainly put in the time, gaining almost three million followers, but he earned it with great content. Paul’s programming was varied. He showed concealed carry guns, gear, and tactics, as well as everything ranging from rifles to shotguns, first aid kits, and much more. One video may have him demonstrating a variety of concealed carry sidearms, and the next, plinking with a .22 rifle. All the while, he maintained a friendly, folksy demeanor that was obviously authentic. He would have been a good neighbor.
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Rest in peace, Paul. The online gun and Second Amendment community misses you already.
You can see Paul’s farewell video below.