Review finds security issues at school where Charlie Kirk was assassinated

An independent review released Friday highlighted a number of what the review identified as security shortcomings at the university where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated last year. Utah Valley University did not provide a proper written assessment or event action plan, according to the 158-page report. The university was also inconsistent in its implementation of safety policies before and during Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10, 2025. The review noted that no university employee or agent acted in bad faith or showed willful disregard for others’ safety during the incident.

The school commissioned the report and an independent security service organization conducted it. While Sept. 10 will always be part of the university’s history, it will not define its future, said Utah Valley University President Jon Anderson, in a written statement. He vowed that the university will follow through on the review’s recommendations.

How has the Kirk family responded? Last week, attorneys for the Kirk family filed an intent to sue the university over the event’s security. The report reaffirmed the claims the family laid out in their intent to sue notice, family attorney Brett Parkinson said in a statement as reported by KUTV. The university was responsible for the safety of all who attended Kirk’s event, including Kirk himself. Justice for Kirk will require true accountability for the university’s shortcomings, Parkinson said.

What were other highlights from the report? Turning Point USA asked for the event to be held outside, overriding security concerns from the university, the report said. The school then failed to formalize line-of-sight assessments of elevated vantage points and building access points. Kirk was fatally shot from a nearby rooftop while he was speaking. The report recommended that the university strengthen its protective measures for outdoor events going forward.

A proposed meeting shortly before the event between the university police chief and Turning Point USA security did not take place, according to the review. That joint security briefing was a missed opportunity to identify risks and clarify the responsibilities of the two teams, the review stated. Additionally, no individual was assigned to monitor campus security camera feeds during Kirk’s event, the review said.

The report also said the university deferred to Turning Point USA for some of the logistics. But the university should have maintained decision-making authority over pivotal security-related issues, such as venue selection, ticketing, and access control, the report said.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report for more details on the Kirk family’s plan to sue the university.