Screenshot from YouTuber Paul Harrell's final video.

Paul Harrell was a YouTuber to the very end…even after the end. With the same character, candor, wit, sincerity and even humor that made him popular enough to earn more than 1.17 million subscribers, the famous gun activist and firearms content creator announced his own death on his YouTube channel @PaulHarrell Tuesday. The video was released shortly after his passing by his longtime editor Brad Nelson.

“Hi everyone. Let me get right to the point. As I’m recording this today it is 20 December 2023. And I’m recording this and giving Brad instructions to publish it upon my death. So ,if you’re watching me, I’m dead,” he says in a video shot outside as Harrell sat with a crutch on a snow-covered log. The video, posted below, is titled simply, “I’m Dead.”

The Oregon-based YouTuber had been battling pancreatic cancer since the fall when it was first discovered.

“Now a few months ago I sat right here on this log and told you I’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and I told you we’d caught it early and that we were still going to be here for some time. Well, we did catch it early but not as early as I had thought, and  It has spread faster than I thought it would,” he told his audience in the December-shot video. “You may have seen me recently using this crutch when I told you I broke my hip. Well, I did break my hip, but it wasn’t because I was in any kind of accident, it was because the cancer spread to my bones and the bones just fractured and I fell down…My time is drawing very short.”

He urged Patreon supporter of his page not to give up their support just yet, because it is his and his team’s hope that his brother, Rob Harrell, and the rest of the crew will be able to continue his work.

“So, if you haven’t heard from us by next month, yes, then cancel your Patreon support,” he said.

Harrell then went on to ask a few favors of his fans, including not to watch pirated content from his channel on “other” channels and to not believe everything those who lie about him and denigrate his character since he won’t be around to defend himself. He thanked everyone for their years of support.

Harrell began his YouTube channel 12 years ago in 2012 according to his oldest posted videos.

Paul Harrell in his first video posted to his YouTube channel in 2012. (Screenshot)

“My goal in doing all of this was, yes to have fun, do some things that were fun, but primarily to put out useful info or if not useful at least interesting information,” he said. In the end, he was apologetic to his audience.

“The final thing I would want to say is, my sincere apologies. I had hoped that I would continue in this format the next 10, or even 15 years. And even once I was diagnosed, I’d hoped it would be here, two or three more years, which turned out to be only a few more months, and my apologies for that, it really makes me feel like I’ve let everybody down.

“So, not much more to say than that,” Harrell says, taking a deep breath, obviously caught up in the realization that when people saw this video, he would not be here. “So, I guess the final line I have not really rehearsed this, is, I’m really glad we’ve had this opportunity to do all the stuff that we’ve done. I really hope that it has been helpful. I really appreciate you watching, commenting and participating. And, well probably very few regrets in what we’ve done here. I think for the most part we’ve been successful. I hope you agree. So, as always, don’t try this at home and thanks for watching.”

Thank you, Paul. Thank you!

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22 COMMENTS

  2. his final “and as always, don’t try this at home” made me laugh the saddest laugh I have ever laughed.

  4. The man was a legend. Sad to see him go.

    Unfortunately with pancreatic cancer, “early” tends to come in two major forms; “You’re a good candidate for a Whipple” and “Sorry, we caught it *early* but you’re still fucked”.

  5. This has been most disappointing news. Paul’s content was well prepared and excellently presented. He will be missed.

  6. He was great. Watched every video some several times. Very sad such a painful way to go. He will be missed. Hopefully his crew can carry on his legacy.
    RIP Paul God bless

  7. Paul was a class act. Too many of the Internet gun gurus are way too full of themselves and think that they sit at the right hand of God Almighty. Paul just told us stuff and had fun doing it. I’ll miss him.

  10. Paul harrel really did a unique and special way about him. he was a real character having fun with his videos but seemed to be a sincere and knowledgeable POTG. I will miss him as will any other gun folks who found his channel.

  11. I’ve never cried about a stranger dying, but I shed a few tears for Paul. Requiescat in pace amigo, see you on another range in another time. Godspeed.

  15. A sub on Paul’s channel and the vid posted the other day. H.45 had also posted a video commemorating Paul and his work.

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