Security lapses at Utah campus where Charlie Kirk was killed, review says
The indpendent report also says Kirk's aides insisted he speak outdoors, overriding concerns from campus officials.
Security lapses at Utah campus where Charlie Kirk was killed, review says
Kirk's Utah Valley University event was held in a courtyard surrounded by tall buildings
An independent review has highlighted several security failures at the Utah campus where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead last year.
According to the report, Utah Valley University (UVU) did not complete a proper written security assessment or draw up an event action plan, instead leaving key decisions about the event to Kirk's conservative group Turning Point USA.
It also said Kirk's aides had pushed for an outdoor venue, overriding security concerns raised by campus officials, who then did not adequately evaluate the risks.
The 31-year-old activist was speaking to thousands of people in an Orem campus courtyard when he was shot from a nearby rooftop on 10 September 2025.
Kirk's family said the report confirmed their worries about how the event was handled.
University officials had expressed concern in August 2025 about staging the event in a place surrounded by tall buildings and had proposed other venues, including indoor options, the report said.
"But a Turning Point representative insisted that Kirk speak at a campus courtyard because he had been there previously and the organisation was familiar with the location," it adds.
Even with the "significant protective operations considerations", no line-of-sight assessment was recorded during planning, the external consultants said.
They also found problems in coordination between university police and Kirk's private security team.
A planned meeting between the university's police chief and Turning Point security shortly before the event never happened, the report said.
The reviewers said the lack of a joint security briefing and walk-through was a missed chance to identify risks, define responsibilities and consider extra security measures.
Still, the review concluded that no university employee or representative had acted in bad faith or shown "willful and wanton disregard" for anyone's safety.
Charlie Kirk was addressing about 3,000 people when he was shot in the neck
Kirk's family has previously accused the university of major security failures and has filed a wrongful-death notice, a step that can come before legal action.
The family's lawyer, Brett Parkinson, said the independent report released on Friday supported the concerns raised by Kirk's loved ones.
"The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement," Parkinson said in a statement to the Associated Press. "Justice for Charlie and his family requires true accountability for UVU's fatal shortcomings that day."
When asked to comment on the findings, Turning Point USA referred to Parkinson's statement.
The review includes a number of recommendations intended to improve security at major campus events.
UVU President Jon Anderson said the university must "learn from the findings of this review, and follow through on its recommendations".
It has previously been reported that campus police did not carry out security steps now standard at high-profile events, including using a drone to watch rooftops or screening attendees with bag checks and metal detectors.
Kirk had been debating UVU students about US mass shootings as part of a series of events at different university campuses when he was shot in the neck shortly after noon. He was taken to hospital but later pronounced dead.
His alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in connection with Kirk's death. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.