Report finds many security flaws at Utah University where Charlie Kirk was killed

OREM, Utah (AP) — A new report on Charlie Kirk’s slaying last year says his Turning Point USA organization insisted he speak outside despite safety concerns, while the university where he was killed failed to properly assess threats such as the possibility of a roofer.

WATCH: A look at the young conservative movement a year after the death of Charlie Kirk

Those were among the key findings in an after-action report released Friday by Utah Valley University. The external, independent review assessed safety procedures for the conservative firebrand’s Sept. 10, 2025, conversation on the Orem campus, the university said. Investigators are reviewing planning conversations between Turning Point and university officials, and the university’s response to the shooting.

The university did not conduct a formal safety assessment, did not create a written incident action plan and deferred the critical decision to Turning Point USA, the report said.

Kirk was killed by a sniper on a rooftop more than 400 feet (122 meters) away, authorities said. Kirk, 31, had been debating students in an outdoor courtyard, surrounded by tall buildings and with several thousand people in attendance.

Earlier this month, Kirk’s family sent a false death notice — a precursor to a lawsuit — to Utah officials, alleging that Utah Valley University officials made a series of “reckless” decisions that led to Kirk’s death by leaving him vulnerable to the rooftop sniper.

READ MORE: Utah judge rules Tyler Robinson will stand trial in Charlie Kirk’s murder

According to the report released Friday, a Turning Point representative insisted at a planning meeting in August 2025 that Kirk speak in a courtyard on campus because he had been there before and the organization was familiar with the location. Some university officials expressed reservations about holding the event in an outdoor space surrounded by tall buildings, but ultimately allowed the event to go ahead.

“In our assessment, these decisions were consistent,” the report says.

The outdoor location “created significant protective operational considerations,” the report says, but the planning process did not include a documented line-of-sight assessment, pre-event briefing or walk-through with security stakeholders. There was also no clear coordination with the speaker’s private security team and outside law enforcement partners, the report said.

Utah resident Tyler Robinson turned himself in to authorities a day after the shooting. Prosecutors say he told his romantic partner he had “enough of his (Kirk) hate.” Robinson pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder, a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. A judge on Sept. 1 ordered the case to proceed to trial. A date has not yet been set.

An Associated Press review found that the campus in Orem did not use various public safety practices that are becoming standard at events across the country. Campus police staffing was well below recommended levels for a school of this size. They also did not fly drones to monitor roofers or coordinate with local law enforcement to secure the event, which was attended by about 3,000 people. There were no bag checks or metal detectors.