Witness Henry Dells Recounts Final Moments Before Kirk Was Shot, Describes Interaction With Transgender Questioner
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Witness Henry Dells Recounts Final Moments Before Kirk Was Shot, Describes Interaction With Transgender Questioner
Henry Dells, the first audience member selected to ask Charlie Kirk a question at the rally where Kirk was shot, gave an exclusive interview recounting the moments immediately before the assassination attempt. Dells had asked Kirk about the Mormon church and family values, a friendly exchange, before passing the microphone. The next questioner then asked about transgenderism, the final question before Kirk was struck. Dells revealed he had spoken with this individual minutes before the event, as a small group of pre-selected questioners gathered at the front. During that conversation, the person discussed transgenderism but gave no indication of violent intent. Dells said the sequence left him guessing but testified the questioner appeared to be an ordinary person with a difference of opinion.
Henry Dells: "It Was Something Unbelievable to Me"
Henry Dells was the first person to step up to the microphone at the Charlie Kirk rally where Kirk was later shot. Dells, who studies debate and apologetics with friends who admired Kirk's argumentation style, had only learned about the event a couple of days beforehand. Friends reached out and suggested they collectively try to attend and ask questions.
"He was a big, monumental inspiration for us," Dells explained. "We do apologetics and debate all the time, and we loved his debate tactics. He meant a lot to us."
Dells was selected as one of four or five audience members to stand at the front of the line before the event. He asked Kirk about the Mormon church — specifically Kirk's views on Mormons having large families. The exchange was friendly and conversational.
Pre-Event Conversation With the Next Questioner
Before the event began, the selected questioners gathered at the front and spent roughly five to six minutes discussing what each planned to ask. Topics included abortion, racial issues, and transgenderism. The individual who would later ask about transgender shooters — the final question before Kirk was shot — was among them.
"I never got anything out of him, or even heard anything where he seemed to refer to anything about shooting," Dells said. "It kind of just leaves me guessing a little bit."
Dells noted that most of the other selected questioners disagreed with Kirk on their topics, while he personally had difficulty finding political disagreement with Kirk. He settled on a religious question about Mormonism to have something respectful to raise.
The Question Before the Shooting
After Dells finished and passed the microphone, the next questioner asked Kirk about transgenderism — specifically, the interviewer noted, about transgender shooters. It was the final question before Kirk was struck.
During the interview, the anchor revealed that the individual had just submitted a video statement, which was played for Dells in real time. In the statement, the person explained: "The point I was trying to make is how peaceful it was right before you got shot. And that only makes sense if we stay peaceful. As much as I disagree with Charlie Kirk — I'm on the record for how much I disagree with Charlie Kirk — but man, he is still a human being. Have we forgotten that?"
Dells Sympathises, Cannot Rule Out Coincidence
Hearing the statement, Dells said he felt for the individual, acknowledging that backlash might follow given the timing of the question. He admitted the sequence was shocking to look back on but said he could not conclude there was intent behind it.
"I never left out the fact that it could have just been a coincidence," he said. "When I was speaking with him prior to the event, I never felt like he had any hatred for Charlie. I can testify he seemed like an ordinary kid who just had a difference of opinion."
Dells drew on his own family background to illustrate the point, noting that his household includes conservatives, moderates, and those on the left, and that he navigates those divisions every day. "We're all human and we should love each other," he said.
