Youtuber, gun rights activist and firearms expert Paul Harrell dies of cancer one year after diagnosis

The death of 58-year-old Paul Harrell was announced by his friend on Tuesday (September 3). The announcement of his death came shortly after Harrell's brother Roy released a video indicating that his sibling didn’t have much time left.

Harrell’s death comes a little over a year after he first told his one million Youtube subscribers that he had been diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer. He gave the health update to his devastated fans in July 2023, but said he would be around "for a long time." He did, however, admit at the time that his prognosis was one to five years. The news of his untimely death was shared by fellow YouTuberand friend Tom Grieve, who posted on X this morning (Wednesday September 4), "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 inspire and call us to be better and do more. Rest in peace."

The star joined Youtube in 2012 and his biography read “Real firearm information for citizens”. He handed over control of his popular channel in January, when it is thought his illness became more severe. His last video was uploaded on Thursday July 4, American Independence Day, and showed him accurately hitting targets - even though he was using a crutch. May fans left their tributes to him on the post. One said: “Rest in peace Paul. You left a large pair of shoes to fill.” A second said: “This sucks. Every so often you get a pang of sadness over the death of someone you’ve never met, but you feel like you personally know.” A third said: “RIP, Paul. You will be missed,” alongside a crying face emoji. Others said they would miss his gun-related knowledge and his sense of humour.

After his cancer diagnosis, Harrell previously said that his Youtube channel would be continued by his family after his death. He also thanked his fans for their support over the years.