What did the official autopsy list as cause and manner of Charlie Kirk's death?

1. What official records have said so far — limited, procedural conclusions

Multiple outlets and medical-commentary summaries state an autopsy was conducted and that authorities have described the death as a homicide; independent summaries note “neck gunshot” as the injury phrase most widely reported but emphasize that no detailed medical examiner’s report with full findings has been publicly released in available reporting ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Claims from Kirk’s security chief: no exit wound and fragmentation

Brian Harpole, who led Kirk’s private security detail, publicly said an autopsy showed no exit wound and that the bullet fragmented when it hit Kirk’s spine — a specific medical detail reported by The Salt Lake Tribune in an interview summary ^[3]. That is a testimonial account reported in the press, not a published medical-examiner document included among the sources provided ^[3].

3. What medical-commentary outlets say about public availability

A tactical/medical commentary outlet summarized mainstream reporting and concluded that while an autopsy was expected and that reporting references a “neck gunshot” and homicide manner, no official release containing the autopsy’s full anatomical or ballistic details (wounds, vessel/nerve damage, exact trajectory, caliber, fragmentation patterns) had been published as of its summary ^[2]. In short: media report limited conclusions; the detailed ME findings are not publicly available in these sources ^[2].

4. Disputed or unverified technical claims in secondary outlets

Some non-mainstream reporting and commentary have promoted technical conclusions about caliber, range, or improbabilities (for example, arguing about likelihoods of exit wounds at given calibers and distances), but those pieces either acknowledge no autopsy report is yet available or draw conclusions from internal claims rather than a released ME report ^{[4] [2]}. The sources provided do not contain a publicly posted official autopsy that confirms those forensic specifics ^{[4] [2]}.

5. How to read testimonial vs. official forensic claims

Testimony from participants (security teams, police briefings, family statements) can offer important information but is not the same as the medical examiner’s formal report. In this case, Harpole’s statement that the autopsy found no exit wound and fragmentation is a consequential testimonial claim reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, but the wider media and medical-commentary reporting underline that the official autopsy document has not been produced in the public record referenced here ^{[3] [2]}.

6. What remains unknown in current reporting

Available sources do not mention publication of the medical examiner’s full autopsy report detailing cause (specific anatomical injury), weapon caliber, wound trajectory, or detailed ballistic findings; they also do not show a publicly released death certificate or signed ME ruling beyond repeated references to “homicide” as the manner and “neck gunshot” as the injury descriptor in summary reporting ^{[2] [1]}. If you are seeking the literal autopsy text or formal ME conclusions (organ-level injury, exact cause-of-death wording, toxicology, sequence of injuries), those documents are not found in the current reporting ^[2].

7. Competing perspectives and accountability of sources

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Harpole’s claim that the autopsy showed fragmentation and no exit wound (a direct, named source) ^[3]. Medical-commentary sites and other reporting emphasize that while autopsy was done and manner is homicide, they have not seen an official, detailed autopsy report; some alternative sites speculate about caliber and range while admitting the formal report hasn’t been released ^{[2] [4]}. Readers should weigh firsthand testimonial claims against the absence of a posted ME report; testimonial claims can reflect accurate inside knowledge but are not the same as a publicly available forensic document ^{[3] [2]}.

8. What to watch next

The most direct path to resolving outstanding specifics is release of the medical examiner’s autopsy report or a public statement from the county medical examiner; current reporting shows an expectation of such a document but confirms it has not been published in the sources here ^{[2] [1]}. Until that happens, firm forensic conclusions (caliber, exact wound path, official cause-of-death phrasing beyond “neck gunshot,” and supporting ballistic/toxicology data) remain unconfirmed in the public record cited ^[2].

If you want, I can track subsequent official releases or statements and update this summary when a public autopsy report or death certificate text becomes available.