Family members of beloved local actor speak after shooting over the weekend
VENN
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A local costume designer recalls her fondest memories of Adam Turck, the actor who was shot over the weekend.
Ruth Hedburg said she met Turck in 2015 during a children’s play called, “The House at Pooh Corner,” where he played Tigger.
“Meeting him and speaking to him, you instantaneously were the most important person in his life until that interaction was over,” Hedburg said.
According to the Richmond Police Department, on Saturday, Aug. 2, officers found two men with gunshot wounds in the 2000 block of East Grace Street.
PREVIOUSLY: The Richmond Police Department continues to investigate a shooting on East Grace Street
Nathaniel Shaw, producing artistic director for Firehouse Theater, said Turck was walking his dog Lana when Turck intervened in a domestic dispute and was shot.
“When he saw something that was not right happening, Adam brought himself into the fray to help other people,” Shaw said.
Hedburg said Turck left his mark on the theater community by sinking his teeth into every role he played and approaching each character the same way he approached people.
“The conversations that we had about it were approaching the theater in the same way that he approached people” Hedburg said.
“He wanted to understand them. He wanted to completely and totally get where they were coming from. He enjoyed the puzzle of understanding people and eternally figuring out how to make people the best versions of themselves,” Hedburg continued.
8News spoke to a friend of Turck who said he will not survive, and that his organs are being donated.
Hedburg said Turck’s willingness to insert himself in the line of fire is exactly the type of person he is.
“The result is awful, but I also know that Adam would get up out of his ICU bed, given a moment's notice, and do the exact same thing again. That's something that's going to have a big effect on a lot of people going forward,” Hedburg said.
Turck’s family sent a statement regarding his tragic incident:
“[Adam] was playful and clever, he was strong and wise, he was wildly competitive and had a moral compass made of steel. Adam was fiercely devoted to his craft, his loved ones, and finding joy in any corner. He was also stubborn, too smart for his own good, and when he started a bit, oh, that man would not quit. But above all else, he was kind.
Adam will be 35 years old when he passes in the next few days, after donating his organs to help save the lives of others. That’s what heroes do - they save the lives of others. On August 2nd, 2025, Adam put his life on the line to protect someone in need and we will forever remember him for this sacrifice. Although we cannot go into details on the events of this past Saturday due to the nature of the event, it was told to us that if Adam was not there, the person he intervened to help would not be with us today."
Adam is survived by his parents, Peter and Terry Ann, and his older brothers, Pete and David, as well as his beloved Lana, whom he adopted two years ago from the Southside Animal Control.
He is also survived by a legacy that will outlive him - a champion of the arts, a staunch ally and advocate, a beloved friend.
Adam grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania but his chosen home for the last decade was Richmond, Virginia. After touring the country as part of Olney Theatre’s National Players, he settled here and immediately joined the Richmond theatre community, gracing every stage in the city countless times.
A multiple nominee for the Richmond Theatre Community Circle Awards, he won the award for Best Actor in a Play in 2018 for “Hand to God”. He was most recently seen in Cadence Theatre’s production of “Smoke” and was preparing to play the title role in “Dracula: A Comedy of Horrors” at Richmond Triangle Players this fall.
There will need to be further testing done to determine which of his organs will be viable and to prepare recipients to accept his donations. We hope that those lives he saves will know that they will hold the soul of a hero within them. Once we know dates for certain, we will inform the community at large when and how they can honor him. Until then, hold him in your hearts and hold your loved ones in your arms.
You’ve probably seen a lot of Superman imagery in the past few days as people have poured out their love on social media. If you’ve seen the latest movie, you’ll know the poster tells us to Look Up. We’re looking up for you, Adam. We’re gonna keep looking up.” -- The Turck’s Family.
