Report shows Utah Valley University had several security issues on day of Charlie Kirk assassination

A report released Friday shows Utah Valley University (UVU) had several security issues on the day political commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated on campus .

The 158-page independent review for UVU stated that university staff and security personnel deferred critical decisionmaking to the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) team and failed to conduct a formal written security assessment.

“Several key event-security decisions were deferred to TPUSA field representative even though UVU staff members raised concerns, including concerns related to holding the event in the outdoor Fountain Courtyard and use its own ticketing system rather than the University’s system,” the report read.

It continued that those decisions placed Kirk in an area that was “more difficult to control” and limited UVU’s ability to obtain information regarding crowd size and attendance.

In one instance, however, UVU Police Department Chief Jeffrey Long messaged Turning Point Security Supervisor Dan Flood, attempting to coordinate a meeting “to ensure that both groups had a shared understanding of the security posture,” but these face-to-face meetings never occurred.

This contrasts accusations made by lawyers for the Kirk family who sent a notice of claim to UVU, accusing the university of having no security plan and only six police officers working the event.

They also alleged a member of Turning Point USA texted Long before the event with security concerns about the specific rooftop where the shooter fired from.

Kirk was fatally shot while debating student Hunter Kozak, which marked one of the most prominent acts of political violence in 2025. Tyler Robinson was arrested and charged in connection with Kirk’s death for aggravated murder, along with six other counts. The murder case was sent to trial last month , where Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted.

During the shooting, the report also stated the university’s actions were “significantly inconsistent” with its policies.

The report concluded no personnel affiliated with UVU acted “in bad faith or in willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others.”

Brett Parkinson, an attorney for the Kirk family, told The Hill that the report “affirms the facts we laid out in our Notice of Claim: that UVU security was woefully understaffed and unprepared to manage the obvious risks associated with an event of this nature.”

“UVU hosted this event, and in doing so, assumed responsibility for the safety of all in attendance, including Charlie. The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement,” he continued. “Justice for Charlie and his family requires true accountability for UVU’s fatal shortcomings that day.”

Utah Valley University President Jon Anderson stated in a press release that the university’s “responsibility is to care for our community, learn from the findings of this review, and follow through on its recommendations.”

He added that the report “provides additional recommendations” for UVU to guide its work in the future.