A series of security breakdowns and disputed decisions left Charlie Kirk vulnerable to the rooftop gunman who killed him during a crowded event at a Utah university, according to a scathing new report.
Utah Valley University did not complete a formal threat assessment, prepare a written action plan or adequately address the danger posed by nearby rooftops before Kirk appeared at an outdoor courtyard packed with thousands on September 10, 2025.
University officials had questioned whether the high-profile conservative activist’s event should be held outdoors. However, Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, pushed to use the courtyard because he had spoken there previously and the group was familiar with the venue.
The findings were detailed in an independent after-action review released Friday, which examined both the event’s preparation and the university’s response to the assassination.
Kirk, 31, was speaking with students in front of an audience of roughly 3,000 when a sniper fired from a rooftop more than 400 feet away.
The review describes a deeply flawed planning process. Officials failed to properly evaluate surrounding buildings, coordinate with outside law enforcement agencies or assign clear ownership of key security decisions.
Investigators found that the university neither conducted a formal security review nor created a written action plan for the event.
Instead, the report said, university officials left critical security matters to Turning Point USA.
A scathing report details a series of security failures before Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University
Officials did not formally assess the threat despite concerns about staging the event outdoors amid surrounding high-rise buildings
Earlier this month, Kirk’s family sent Utah officials a wrongful death notice, a step that can precede a lawsuit. The notice accused Utah Valley University officials of making a series of “reckless” decisions that left Kirk exposed to the rooftop sniper.
At an August 2025 planning meeting, a Turning Point representative reportedly argued that Kirk should speak in the campus courtyard because he had appeared there before and the organization knew the location well.
Several university officials voiced concerns about hosting the event outside, where tall buildings surrounded the venue. Nevertheless, the university ultimately approved the plan.
“In our assessment, those decisions were consequential,” the report stated.
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The outdoor setting presented “significant protective operations considerations,” according to the review. Yet planners did not document a line-of-sight analysis, hold a pre-event security briefing or conduct a walk-through with the relevant security personnel.
The report also found no clear coordination process involving Kirk’s private security detail and outside law enforcement partners.
“Dan Flood, TPUSA Security Supervisor, texted Chief Long advising that TPUSA security personnel had arrived on campus,” the report said.
“Chief Long engaged in a series of text communications with Flood, to include several regarding individuals located on the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway and the Fountain Courtyard area where a canopy would be set up where Kirk would be speaking. These text exchanges revealed the primary security focus for TPUSA was the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway above the canopy.”
Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder, a charge that could carry the death penalty if he is convicted
Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow, continues to mourn his killing as the family pursues legal action over the security failures surrounding the assassination
Utah resident Tyler Robinson turned himself in to authorities a day after the shooting.
Prosecutors say he told his romantic partner that he ‘had enough of his (Kirk’s) hatred.’
Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder, a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
A judge on September 1 ordered the case to proceed toward trial. A date has not yet been set.
A review by the Associated Press showed the campus in Orem did not use several public safety practices that have become standard at events around the country.
Campus police staffing was far below recommended levels for a school of that size.
They also did not fly a drone to monitor rooftops or coordinate with local law enforcement to secure the event attended by about 3,000 people. There were also no bag checks or metal detectors.