Charlie Kirk was left ‘helpless’ by security failures, family alleges

The family of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk accused Utah officials of failing to properly secure the campus where he was shot and killed during an event in late 2025.

Kirk, 31, was speaking to a crowd of about 3,000 people at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025, when he was fatally shot by a gunman perched on the roof of a building across campus. The alleged shooter, 23-year-old Tyler Robinson, has pleaded not guilty to murder and other felonies in Kirk's killing.

Lawyers for Kirk's family said in a Sept. 9 legal notice that Kirk's death could have been prevented if university officials had taken adequate security measures, citing "a series of stunning failures and reckless decisions."

The notice claims officials did not hold a security briefing or have a written security plan for the outdoor event, which was protected by only six police officers. The university also did not use other "common sense safety measures" like metal detectors, deploying drones or monitoring security footage in real time, the notice claims.

"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.

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/