Neuroscientist explains why Charlie Kirk raised his arms after being fatally shot

Following the shocking assassination of activist Charlie Kirk last week, a neuroscientist has offered up his expertise after reviewing footage of the gory moment.

The 31-year-old had been hosting a rally at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (10 Sept), which welcomed over 3,000 Republican voters.

In the midst of answering a question about gun violence from a passionate attendee, Kirk was fatally shot in the neck. Despite being rushed to hospital in the minutes that followed, his political ally Donald Trump later confirmed his death on Truth Social.

Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah local has since been arrested on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.

In the immediate aftermath of the targeted attack, graphic and often uncensored videos of the father-of-two's murder were uploaded to social media, showing blood spouting from the gunshot wound.

A neuroscientist has since been assessing footage of the gory moment (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

In the clips, Kirk can be seen opening his arms out wide in response to the attack, before dropping his microphone and falling to the ground.

The harrowing footage has since been analysed by neuropsychologist Derek Van Schaik, who gave an insight into why the Conservative's body would have reacted in such a way in that moment.

"Many have speculated his arms moving upward towards his chest is due to a phenomenon known in forensic science as decorticate posturing," he explained on YouTube recently. "However, that's unlikely."

Van Schaik added that such a posture is achieved when 'higher brain areas like the cerebral hemispheres are badly damaged', explaining that this '[cuts] off voluntary motor control'.

"An immediate loss of blood to the brain does not typically result in immediate decorticate posturing," he went on to reveal, however. "Instead, loss of blood to the brain would have led to rapid unconsciousness and flaccid collapse.

Kirk involuntarily raised both arms in response to the gunfire (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

"Therefore, his arms instantly moving up like that after being hit was apparently due to an instant involuntary defensive reflex."

Likening the movement to that a person would involuntarily exhibit in scenarios whereby they are scared, Van Schaik went on to explain that Kirk would likely not have realised he was about to die when he reacted in such a way.

"When someone suffers a catastrophic wound to the neck that destroys a carotid artery and jugular vein, the mind only has a fleeting window to possibly register what happened," he began.

"However, in Charlie's case, and after analyzing the footage with a digital timer, he was conscious for no more than four tenths of a second after impact. Far too fast for his brain to even register what had happened to him."

Kirk's suspected killer has since been apprehended (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

The neuropsychologist went on to reiterate that the controversial star would have endured 'no panic, no dread' in those moments.

"Only an abrupt blackout," Van Schaik continued. "It was neurologically impossible for him to psychologically realise anything was wrong at all."

The medic added that the speed by which Kirk would have lost consciousness means that his brain would never had perceived the pain.

"He absolutely did not know he was shot."