Charlie Kirk’s family raises questions over security failures before assassination

Hannah Schoenbaum and Matthew BrownWed, September 16, 2026 at 10:19 AM UTC

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Charlie Kirk’s family is blaming Utah officials for failing to prevent the conservative activist’s assassination at a state university

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Charlie Kirk’s family has accused Utah officials of failing to prevent the conservative activist’s assassination, taking the first step toward a potential wrongful death lawsuit over alleged security failures at Utah Valley University.

Attorneys for Kirk’s family said his death was the result of a series of “reckless decisions” that left the 31-year-old exposed to a rooftop sniper during an outdoor event at the university in Orem on Sept. 10, 2025.

Kirk was debating students in a courtyard surrounded by tall buildings when he was fatally shot from more than 400 feet away. About 3,000 people were attending the event.

Women pray at a memorial outside Utah Valley University after Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed (Copyright 2025 The . All rights reserved.)

An review conducted after the shooting found the university had not implemented several security measures commonly used at large public events.

Campus police staffing was well below recommended levels for a university of its size, while officials did not use a drone to monitor rooftops or coordinate with local law enforcement to secure the event. There were also no bag checks or metal detectors.

“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.

The notice, dated Sept. 9, a day before the first anniversary of Kirk’s death, is required under Utah law before the family can file a formal claim or lawsuit.

Erika Kirk leaves the Fourth District Courthouse, Monday, July 6, 2026, in Provo, Utah, after a hearing for Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of her husband (AP Photo/Marielle Scott)

It names Utah Valley University and its then-president, Astrid Tuminez; the university’s police department and Chief Jeffrey Long; and the state of Utah.

The family’s attorneys allege officials also failed to conduct an adequate risk assessment, establish a secure perimeter or ensure first responders were immediately available.

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After Kirk was shot, he was taken to a hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance, according to the notice.

“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.

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.

Individuals who were present at the scene of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting stand together on stage during a Charlie Kirk memorial service at the UCCU Center on September 10, 2026 in Orem (Getty)

The Utah Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on potential litigation.

Utah resident Tyler Robinson turned himself in the day after Kirk was killed and has been charged with aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

A judge ordered the case to proceed toward trial on Sept. 1, though a trial date has not been set.

At a preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors presented surveillance footage they said showed Robinson on campus, DNA evidence allegedly linking him to a rifle recovered near the shooting scene and a handwritten note he is accused of leaving for his romantic partner.

“I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it,” the note allegedly read.

Prosecutors have also said Robinson told his romantic partner that he “had enough of his [Kirk’s] hatred.”

Kirk’s parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, and his widow, Erika Kirk, attended the hearings.

Under Utah law, heirs or personal representatives can seek damages when a death is allegedly caused by negligence or another wrongful act. The family’s notice did not specify the amount of damages it may seek.

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