An independent after-action review reveals that Utah Valley University failed to conduct a formal security assessment or create a written action plan before conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on its Orem campus on September 10, 2025.
When Charlie Kirk stepped up to speak before a crowd of thousands on the campus of Utah Valley University, the surrounding architecture left him exposed to a sniper positioned more than 400 feet away. Nearly a year after the 31-year-old conservative activist was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, an external after-action review has laid bare a series of institutional missteps, communication breakdowns, and planning omissions that preceded the shooting.
The findings pull back the curtain on how the event came together in the weeks leading up to the tragedy. Rather than imposing strict institutional safety protocols, university officials deferred critical operational decisions to Turning Point USA, the political organization Kirk led.
Planning Failures and the Outdoor Venue Decision
In an August 2025 planning meeting, university personnel expressed reservations about hosting the high-profile speaker in an outdoor courtyard flanked by tall buildings and elevated walkways. Officials suggested several alternative indoor locations.
Despite those warnings, a representative from Turning Point USA insisted on the courtyard venue because Kirk had appeared there previously and the organization felt familiar with the space. The university ultimately yielded. The independent report stated that those decisions were consequential, noting that the location created significant protective operations challenges.
Investigators found that the campus omitted several basic security measures. The planning process lacked a documented line-of-sight assessment, a pre-event briefing, and a walkthrough involving security stakeholders. The campus also did not coordinate effectively with external law enforcement partners or Kirk's private security detail.
Text Messages and Strained Law Enforcement Coordination
Legal notices filed by Kirk’s family highlight text message exchanges between Turning Point USA security supervisor Dan Flood and campus Police Chief Jeffrey Long.
When Flood flagged individuals located on the Hall of Flags pedestrian walkway and the Fountain Courtyard where Kirk’s speaking canopy was erected, Chief Long responded with I got you covered,
according to the family’s legal notice. Yet, independent reviews and subsequent hearings revealed that the campus police department deployed only six sworn officers to manage the crowd of roughly 3,000 attendees.
Testimony during a July preliminary hearing from former campus police officer Chris Bagley confirmed that officers did not attend preparatory security meetings. The campus also did not deploy drones to monitor surrounding rooftops, check bags, or install metal detectors at entry points—safeguards that have become standard at large public gatherings nationwide.
Legal Fallout and the Family’s Wrongful Death Notice
The release of the external report intersects directly with mounting legal pressure from Kirk’s family. Attorneys representing his widow Erika Kirk filed a wrongful death notice—a mandatory precursor to a lawsuit under state law—naming the state of Utah, Utah Valley University, the campus police department, former university President Astrid Tuminez, and Chief Long.
The legal filing accuses university leadership of executing a series of stunning failures and reckless decisions, arguing that an unsecured perimeter and a lack of immediate first responder availability forced bystanders to transport a mortally wounded Kirk to a hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance.
According to the Kirk family legal notice, tragically, the UVU parties took none of these safety measures—steps only they had the authority to take—resulting in a situation that rendered Mr. Kirk helpless before his assassin.
Family attorney Brett Parkinson maintained that the buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement, asserting that hosting the event carried an absolute duty to protect everyone in attendance.
Institutional Response and the Path Forward
In the wake of the tragedy and the subsequent findings, Utah Valley University leadership has pledged institutional reform. Jon Anderson, who assumed the university presidency last month, emphasized that addressing the report’s nearly 150 recommendations requires transparency.
The university has taken steps to bolster its safety infrastructure by hiring a chief public safety officer, recruiting additional sworn officers—up from the 13 active officers on duty during the 2025 event—and creating a dedicated police sergeant position focused exclusively on campus events. The new guidelines also establish rigorous criteria mandating that large gatherings be moved indoors or to easily controlled venues when crowd size or line-of-sight risks demand it.
Meanwhile, the criminal case against the accused gunman continues to move through the courts. Tyler Robinson, a 23-year-old Utah resident who turned himself in to authorities a day after the shooting, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder, a charge carrying potential eligibility for the death penalty.