Who was Paul Harrell? Tributes pour in as popular YouTuber and firearms influencer dies of cancer

A gun-rights activist, firearms influencer, and YouTuber Paul Harrell passed away on Tuesday, September 3 after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 58. Fellow YouTuber and attorney Tom Grieve announced the news of his demise on the social media platform X.

"I just learned and was given permission to share that Paul has passed. A true lion of men, a paragon of integrity, the gun dad of the internet, and a role model for us all. May he continue [to] inspire and call us to be better and do more. Rest in peace," the post read.

Tom Grieve’s post came right after Paul’s brother Roy posted a video on his channel titled "I'm Dead" which conveyed that his life was nearing the end. The internet is now mourning Paul’s death. Here are some tributes from X:

“Paul The Gun King lives on through us all,” a fan wrote.

“I still love going back and watching his old videos. He is sorely missed,” another fan wrote.

“Rest in Peace Legend,” one fan wrote.

Others grieved his death and shared their fond memories of watching his videos and learning everything about firearms.

“As I've said. He will be missed. Personally, I thought that his was the best gun channel out there,” a person wrote.

“RIP...we've lost one of the greats. Thanks, Paul... for all the info in your vids...learned lots,” one person wrote.

“His videos were incredibly educational, no matter your level of skill. Very sad,” another person wrote.

Some people shared how they will “miss” Paul Harrell, his videos, his gun-related knowledge, his sense of humor, and more.

“Paul was always the one of the most upstanding and premier members of the gun community and a great man of good standing. He always informs us to use standard Remington green box. I'll miss him,” a netizen wrote.

“When I first got into the firearms world I stumbled upon Paul by accident and 12 years later I still watch his videos. No guntuber deserved that gold button more than him. Rest in peace Paul, you were an inspiration as mentioned above and you will be dearly missed,” wrote another.

Paul Harrell announced his stage 2 pancreatic cancer diagnosis in July 2023. Back then, he declared he would beat it, and be around “for a long time” with a prognosis of 1-5 years.

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In brief, exploring Paul Harrell's life

Paul Harrell was a firearms expert, internet personality, YouTube influencer, and gun rights advocate. He had over 1.13 million subscribers on YT and 445 videos. He joined the platform in April 2012 and his bio reads, “Real firearm information for citizens.”

The Oregon native handed over his YouTube channel to his brother Roy in January 2024 and said he would take over. His last in-person video came out on the 4th of July when he celebrated his life as an American and shot a gun, hitting the targets, despite supporting himself on a crutch. It was titled, “Happy Birthday America! (Independence Day 2024).

On Tuesday, a nearly 7-minute long video was posted on his channel by his brother Roy announcing his demise and honoring his legacy. Titled, “I’m Dead,” it featured Paul sitting on a tree trunk in his khaki attire with a crutch by his side.

“I’m recording this today. It is 20 December, 2023. I’m recording this and giving Brad instructions to publish it upon my death. So, if you’re me, I’m dead,” he began the video.

Subsequently, he gave updates about his health and mentioned how the cancer had spread through his bones, rendering him physically weak and in need of support. Paul Harrell also explained how the ailment spread faster than he thought and his “time is drawing very short.”

He also urged people to keep tuning in to his channel where his family and friends would upload videos and not entertain content piracy or other influencers and users who tried to “denigrate” his reputation and legacy. Paul Harrell gave a shout-out to his fans for their support over the years and offered his “sincere apologies” for “letting you down.”

The clip ended with a statement from Brad Nelson, his channel's production manager, who asked for time on behalf of his family to mourn their loss before getting back to continuing Paul Harrell's legacy.