Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Family Alleges Security Failures Before Charlie Kirk Shooting
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a large campus event in Utah.
His family says the university and Utah officials did not do enough to protect him.
They say police did not secure nearby rooftops, even though a rooftop could overlook the event.
They also point to the absence of drones, bag checks, metal detectors and a secure perimeter.
Six campus officers worked with Kirk’s eight-person private security team.
The family also says medical help was not immediately available after the shooting.
Utah Valley University has not agreed with the family’s claims.
A court would have to decide whether officials were legally responsible and whether better security could have stopped the attack.
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at an outdoor Utah Valley University event on September 10, 2025.
His family’s notice of claim alleges failures involving rooftop access, police staffing, surveillance, screening and perimeter security.
The event had six campus police officers and Kirk’s eight-person private security team, according to university police chief Jeffrey Long.
The family says no drone, bag checks, metal detectors or secure perimeter were used, and that emergency response was inadequate.
Utah Valley University has acknowledged the notice but has not accepted the allegations, leaving legal negligence and causation disputed.
- Who
- Charlie Kirk was killed; his family is alleging security failures by Utah Valley University and Utah officials.
- What
- Kirk was fatally shot, and his family filed a notice of claim ahead of a possible wrongful-death lawsuit.
- When
- September 10, 2025; the notice was filed afterward, before potential litigation.
- Where
- An outdoor courtyard at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
- Why
- The family alleges that inadequate protection, including unsecured rooftops and insufficient emergency planning, left Kirk vulnerable.
Kirk Family’s Allegations
University’s Position
Rooftop protection
Kirk Family’s Allegations
The family says officials failed to control access to rooftops overlooking the event despite a warning from Turning Point USA staff and the recent example of a rooftop shooting at Donald Trump’s rally.
University’s Position
Utah Valley University has not publicly agreed with the family’s characterization of its security arrangements and says the matter will proceed through established legal processes.
Staffing and security measures
Kirk Family’s Allegations
The family argues that police staffing was below recommended levels and that the event lacked adequate surveillance, screening and perimeter controls.
University’s Position
Long said six campus officers worked with Kirk’s private security team; the university later said it was expanding its police force.
Emergency response
Kirk Family’s Allegations
The family alleges that no first responders were immediately available and that Kirk was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance.
University’s Position
The university has not accepted these allegations; whether emergency planning was inadequate and whether additional measures could have changed the outcome remain disputed.
- Event location
- Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah
- Audience
- About 3,000 people
- Campus police
- Six officers were assigned, according to then-Chief Jeffrey Long
- Private security
- Kirk had an eight-person private security team
- Alleged shooting position
- A rooftop more than 400 feet from the courtyard, according to the family’s notice
- Alleged missing precautions
- No drone surveillance, bag checks, metal detectors or secure perimeter
- Legal status
- The family filed a notice of claim; it does not establish legal negligence