No drones, metal detectors: Family of slain US activist Charlie Kirk accuses Utah varsity of ‘stunning’ security lapses
The family of slain US conservative activist Charlie Kirk has accused Utah Valley University (UVU) and state officials of a series of security failures that allegedly left him exposed to a rooftop gunman before he was fatally shot at a campus event in September 2025.The allegations were made in a legal notice filed on September 9, a mandatory step under Utah law before Kirk’s heirs can bring a wrongful-death claim against public entities. The notice names the university, its then-president Astrid Tuminez, the campus police department and its chief, Jeffrey Long, as well as the state of Utah.Kirk, 31, was addressing students at an outdoor debate at the university’s campus in Orem on September 10, 2025, when a gunman fired from a rooftop more than 400 feet (122 metres) away, according to the notice.Attorneys for Kirk’s family said his death followed a series of “reckless decisions” by university officials.“The risk of a rooftop shooter should have been especially top-of-mind given the attempted assassination of President Trump, Charlie Kirk’s close friend and political ally, by a rooftop shooter the previous year,” family attorney D. Loren Washburn wrote in the notice.A review by news agency AP found that the campus police presence was below recommended levels for a university of its size. Authorities also did not deploy a drone to monitor rooftops or coordinate with local law enforcement to secure the event, which drew about 3,000 people. There were no bag checks or metal detectors.The family further alleged that officials failed to carry out an adequate risk assessment, establish a secure perimeter or ensure that first responders were immediately available.“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,” Washburn wrote.The notice also alleges that Kirk was taken to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance after he was shot.Long said after the shooting that six campus officers had staffed the event and coordinated with Kirk’s eight-person private security team. The university later said it was expanding its police force.The allegations come as the criminal case against Tyler Robinson, 23, proceeds towards trial. Prosecutors accuse him of killing Kirk and have charged him with seven offences, including aggravated murder, which is punishable by death in Utah.During a preliminary hearing, Utah County prosecutor Ryan McBride presented surveillance footage that he said showed Robinson taking up a position before the shooting.“He lay down in a prone position, and he would have seen this mass of people of 3,000-plus people there for the event, took aim, put his crosshairs on Charlie Kirk and fired,” McBride told the court.Defence lawyer Staci Visser disputed the prosecution’s account, arguing that the shooting endangered no one but Kirk. Prosecutors have also cited DNA evidence they say links Robinson to a rifle found near the scene and a handwritten note allegedly left for his romantic partner: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.”A judge has ordered the case to proceed towards trial. Robinson has not yet entered a plea, and no trial date has been set.The university has been asked for comment on the family’s allegations, while the Utah Attorney General’s Office said it does not comment on potential litigation.The notice does not specify the damages the family may seek, leaving the possible civil claim and the university’s response as the next significant developments.
