Report: Serious Security Flaws On Campus Where Kirk Was Killed

Utah Valley University failed on a number of fronts to protect Charlie Kirk from the assassin who took his life at an outdoor event a little over a year ago, according to an independent review released on Friday. 

While the 157-page report from the Illinois-based Lake Forest Group found no evidence UVU employees or agents acted in “bad faith or in willing and wanton disregard for the safety of others,” it does reveal serious security “gaps” and a failure of UVU officials to follow their own policies. 

The “After-Action Report,” according to the Kirk family, reaffirms the facts laid out in the family’s recent notice of impending legal action: The university’s security failures rendered the conservative icon “helpless to the rooftop shooter in an assassination that could have been avoided.”

“UVU security was woefully understaffed and unprepared to manage the obvious risks associated with an event of this nature,” Kirk family attorney Brett Parkinson said in a statement to The Federalist. “UVU hosted this event, and in doing so, assumed responsibility for the safety of all in attendance, including Charlie.”

The university did not respond to The Federalist’s follow-up questions, but UVU President Jon Anderson released a brief statement.

“Our commitment does not end with this report,” Anderson said. “Its findings will guide our continued safety efforts as we move forward together with care, civility, and resilience.”

‘Staffing Limitations Should be Addressed’

The report details the day the Turning Point USA founder was murdered in front of some 3,000 spectators, including his wife and young children. It also delves into the preparations for Kirk’s UVU appearance, the first stop on his nationwide tour of college campuses that he billed as The American Comeback Tour.

In their notice of claim, the Kirk family notes the university assigned “only six campus police officers,” or a quarter of the full UVU police force to the outdoor event. UVU Police chief Jeff Long, according to the notice, had sought approval from then-university President Astrid Tuminez, but the request was denied.

Originally, police staffing included just three officers — the chief, a patrol officer, and a reserve officer, according to the review. 

“After observing the size of the crowd, Chief Long requested that a uniformed UVUPD detective assist, as well as an additional officer and a sergeant,” the review states. Two plainclothes officers from Utah State University were also on hand, but in an observational capacity. The Turning Point USA event was scheduled to take place at Utah State later in the month. 

The review notes concerns “regarding UVUPD staffing levels, training, structure, organizational placement, and visibility within the universities’s leadership framework.” It recommends the police department consider whether staffing plans “provide sufficient fixed-post coverage and mobile response capacity.” 

“Staffing limitations should be addressed through advanced planning, mutual aid agreements, and coordination with nearby law enforcement partners or university police agencies,” the report advises. The consultants recommend UVU conduct a formal staffing analysis. 

Public safety partners — including local, state, and federal officers — responded quickly following the shooting, the review found. But the attack also exposed gaps in mutual aid. UVU had access to myriad outside resources, “but those resources were not fully integrated into pre-event planning.” 

‘In Real-Time’

Technology, or the failure to use it, was also a problem. On the day of Kirk’s assassination, “no individual had been specifically assigned to monitor relevant camera feeds in real-time for event security purposes,” the report states. 

“Similarly, the broader, physical security technology environment would benefit for more integrated workflows that connect alarms, video, access control, mapping, notification, and dispatch response,” the consultants advise. 

The report does note the surveillance system proved valuable after the shooting. Law enforcement officials were able to use the footage to track the suspect and ultimately charge Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s alleged assassin. 

A review of footage during Robinson’s preliminary hearing showed the shooter “running across the roof” of the UVU building above the courtyard to a “sniper’s nest.” 

“If such footage had been monitored in real-time, Kirk’s tragic death could have been avoided,” the notice of claim asserts, adding that the campus police department could have used drones to secure the rooftops and sprawling venue. The review notes that omission as well. 

‘The Buck Stopped with UVU’

More broadly, the review found that university officials lacked a comprehensive written security assessment or an action plan, which would have laid out staffing assignments, post responsibilities, mutual aid resources and several other critical security elements. 

“A site-specific coordination meeting involving UVUPD protection detail should have occurred several days before the event to assess vulnerabilities, clarify responsibilities, and determine whether available personnel and resources were sufficient to support the security plan,” the report states. 

The report also notes planning flaws with Kirk’s private security team. But the overarching problem was that the university failed to fully take into account the challenges associated with securing a large-scale outdoor event with a “high-profile speaker” and anticipated protests. It does note that UVU offered alternate locations to hold the event, including interior sites. 

The headline in Friday’s Salt Lake Tribune declares, “Utah Valley University tried to warn Charlie Kirk’s staff of risks, but team ignored concerns.” The UVU-friendly piece notes that university staff suggested a few weeks before the event that Turning Point move it to a more secure location. “The organization, though, insisted on having it in the open campus courtyard,” the news outlet asserts. 

Ultimately, university officials went ahead with the outdoor plan. It shouldn’t have, according to the review.

“UVU should have retained decision-making authority over key security-related issues, including venue selection, ticketing, access control, and other conditions necessary to support campus safety,” the report states.

“The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement,” Parkinson, the Kirk family lawyer, said in the statement. “Justice for Charlie and his family requires true accountability for UVU’s fatal shortcomings that day.”

Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An award-winning investigative reporter and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.