The family of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has formally accused Utah Valley University and state officials of security failures that they say contributed to his fatal shooting last year. A legal "notice of claim" filed in early September outlines alleged lapses in planning and event security at the university’s Orem campus during an outdoor debate on September 10, 2025, where Kirk was shot by a rooftop sniper.
Kirk, 31, was speaking to around 3,000 attendees in a sunken courtyard surrounded by tall buildings when the gunman fired a single shot from more than 400 feet away, striking him in the neck. Tyler James Robinson, 23, a Utah resident, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder shortly after the incident and faces the possibility of the death penalty. Robinson has pleaded not guilty, and no trial date has been set.
According to the notice, Utah Valley University officials and campus police failed to implement what the Kirk family’s attorneys describe as standard security measures for an event of this size and profile. The university allegedly did not conduct a meaningful risk assessment prior to approving the outdoor event, lacked a written security plan, and did not hold a formal security briefing. The university police department deployed only six officers—far fewer than recommended for a crowd of thousands—and did not coordinate with local law enforcement agencies.
The claim also highlights that Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by Kirk, raised concerns before the event about easy access to rooftops overlooking the plaza. A Turning Point USA official reportedly texted UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long requesting controlled access or security presence on the rooftops. Chief Long responded, “I got you covered,” though subsequent evidence suggests no action sufficiently addressed the risk.
The family’s notice cites the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in July 2024 as a reason the threat of a rooftop attack should have been anticipated. Trump, an ally and friend of Kirk, survived being shot at an open-air rally in Pennsylvania by a rooftop sniper, an event that heightened national awareness of such dangers.
Additional criticisms include the absence of bag checks, metal detectors, or drone surveillance to monitor the crowd and rooftops in real time. The notice also accuses the university of failing to establish a secure perimeter, and that no first responders were immediately available at the scene, forcing Kirk to be transported to a regional hospital in a private vehicle rather than by ambulance.
Utah Valley University spokesperson Sharon Turner acknowledged awareness of the notice and stated the school would respond through established legal processes. The university has conducted an external review of the security arrangements and its response but has yet to release a public report. UVU President Jon Anderson has indicated the review will be comprehensive and is expected soon.
The notice represents the family’s required procedural step before filing a potential wrongful-death lawsuit. It names as defendants the state of Utah, Utah Valley University, the UVU police department and its chief, the university president at the time, Astrid Tuminez (who resigned earlier this year), and other state actors possibly involved.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings against Robinson continue, with Kirk’s family members, including his widow Erika Kirk, attending hearings and emphasizing the need for a timely trial. The case remains open as the community and family await further investigation details and judicial outcomes.